Marriage, Relationships and Family Law
Intimate and enduring relationships are important to all people. So it is crucial for those in same-sex relationships and for all parents and children to be treated equally under the law. Lambda Legal protects the rights of those in same-sex relationships and all LGBT parents and children. Our work to protect LGBT families began in the 1970s when we helped a lesbian foster mother retain custody of her foster children and a gay father obtain visitation rights with his children. Since then, we have won numerous victories to establish the rights of LGBT parents with respect to custody, visitation and adoption.
We also fight to establish the rights of people in same-sex relationships to obtain benefits and protections as we work toward the goal of marriage equality. Lambda Legal helped win the historic state supreme courtState Supreme Court The highest state court in the state court system (more keywords) decision in Hawaii in 1993 declaring that denial of marriage licenses to two people of the same gender violates the state constitution's guarantee of equal protectionEqual protection the constitutional right to have the same access and be treated equally by the law (more keywords). While successful implementation of that decision was curtailed by an amendment to that state's constitution, Lambda Legal continues to fight for marriage equality in states around the country. In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Lambda Legal's groundbreaking Lewis v. Harris challenge that same-sex couples must be provided all the benefits and responsibilities of marriage leading to passage by the New Jersey legislatureLegislature The federal or state branch of government responsible for enacting laws (more keywords) of the state's civil unions law.
Learn more about these issues:
Reproductive Rights and Sexual Health
