Press Releases

Lambda Legal and Morrison & Foerster LLP today told a federal judge that government attorneys have shown they have no further arguments and therefore no further legal barrier exists to a married lesbian federal employee receiving spousal health benefits already provided to her heterosexual co-workers. U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys had argued that, among other reasons, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prohibits the employer-provided medical insurance that Karen Golinski had requested for her spouse, Amy Cunninghis. Lambda Legal and Morrison & Foerster represent Golinski, a 19-year-employee of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

(San Francisco, February 28, 2011) — The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that it will continue to deny spousal health insurance benefits to a lesbian federal employee, in spite of last week’s announcement that Attorney General Eric Holder has determined that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and that DOJ therefore will no longer defend it against court challenges.

Today Lambda Legal and Morrison & Foerster LLP filed an amended complaint challenging the constitutionality of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in its case representing Karen Golinski, a federal court employee denied spousal health benefits for her wife.

(NEW YORK, December 10, 1999) -- Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund expressed disappointment Friday that the Hawaii Supreme Court did not strike a final blow at discrimination in civil marriage because of a state constitutional amendment. At the same time, Lambda emphasized that the clock cannot be turned back on the gay civil rights struggle.

(ORANGE, California, September 6, 2000) – Members of the Gay-Straight Alliance Club of El Modena High School and the Orange Unified School District have agreed to a settlement ending the students’ lawsuit against the school district and securing equal treatment for their club.

Today Lambda Legal urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to overturn a lower court ruling against the claim of a man who applied to be a police officer with the Atlanta Police Department (APD), but was denied employment because of his HIV status.

(Atlanta, GA, December 6, 2011) — Today the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that the Georgia General Assembly discriminated against Vandy Beth Glenn, a transgender woman who was fired from her job as Legislative Editor after she told her supervisor that she planned to transition from male to female.

(Atlanta, February 1, 2012) — Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed a lower court ruling and remanded the case of Lambda Legal client, Richard Roe, back to district court. Roe applied to be a police officer with the Atlanta Police Department (APD), but was denied employment because of his HIV status.

The bipartisan introduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) today reflects the strong national consensus that workers should be evaluated on their merits, not sexual orientation or gender identity.