Publications & Resources

Over the last decade, hospitals throughout the United States have recognized that some groups of people face significant barriers to health care because of historic bias and discrimination against them. Many efforts have been launched to identify these groups, learn more about the challenges they face in health care, and welcome them into the nation’s hospitals. To reach out to these long overlooked groups, hospitals have examined their policies and practices to ensure that discrimination is clearly prohibited, recommendations for equitable and inclusive care are being followed, and staff are trained to provide knowledgeable, sensitive care.

On October 21, 2013, Lambda Legal’s case to bring marriage equality to New Jersey concluded in a final, resounding victory: After the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously refused to postpone our trial court win in Garden State Equality v. Dow that ordered marriage without discrimination based on sexual orientation, the government abandoned its appeal! Marriages began across the state at 12:01 a.m., and with so many thousands of couples newly able to wed, Lambda Legal has created and updated our answers to frequently asked questions about the effect of our win and what it means for people in New Jersey.

There's no doubt we are still feeling the positive reverberations of June 26th. Since the Supreme Court’s momentous ruling striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), same-sex couples across the country are exploring and taking advantage of exciting new options, benefits and responsibilities.

Lambda Legal is working to repeal or reform HIV criminalization laws throughout the United States. An HIV criminalization law is one that specifically targets and punishes people living with HIV for engaging in conduct that would otherwise be legal if not for the person’s HIV status. Most of these laws do not require transmission of HIV and are based on the mere failure to announce one’s medical condition to a potential partner prior to engaging in sexual contact. Below we describe 15 ways these laws harm public health, result in unjust prosecutions, and serve primarily to stigmatize and oppress people living with HIV.

What kind of long-range vision do you have for your future and that of your loved ones? Have you taken the necessary legal and financial planning measures to protect that vision? Answer the following life planning questions to find out how prepared you really are—or what life planning issues you need to start thinking about now.

La victoria en el caso Estados Unidos v. Windsor en la Corte Suprema al derribar la discriminatoria Ley en Defensa del Matrimonio (Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA]) ratifica que todas las parejas comprometidas y enamoradas que estén casadas merecen igualdad en el respeto legal y tratamiento por parte del gobierno federal. La desaparición de DOMA marca un momento decisivo en la forma en la que el gobierno de Estados Unidos considera las relaciones de parejas del mismo sexo casadas dentro de los programas federales que están vinculados a estar casado. Al mismo tiempo, este momento forma parte de un viaje más largo, y no es el final del camino. Queda mucho trabajo por hacer para que las parejas del mismo sexo que viven en todo el país puedan disfrutar de las mismas protecciones que sus contrapartes heterosexuales.

Esta guía aborda los beneficios del Seguro Social para cónyuges: cuando uno de los cónyuges se retira; en caso de alguna incapacidad, y cuando uno de los cónyuges ha fallecido. El acceso a cada uno de estos beneficios era bloqueado o afectado por la Ley Federal en Defensa del Matrimonio (“DOMA”).

La revocación histórica de la Sección 3 de la discriminatoria Ley en Defensa del Matrimonio (Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA]) es una victoria enorme para las parejas enamoradas, casadas, y para sus familias.

Progress and Problems in Hospitals Disclosing the Patient's Right to Choose Who Can Visit

June 26 was already an important date in LGBT legal history—it was the day 10 years ago when the Supreme Court struck down all remaining state sodomy laws in Lambda Legal’s historic Lawrence v. Texas victory.