Publications & Resources

New York has enacted legislation providing same-sex couples with equal access to marriage. This document explains how marriage equality may affect same-sex couples and families with low or no income, and provides general information about your legal rights. Please note that this document is not intended to provide legal advice or guidance regarding any specific situation.

In several weeks, the holidays will be upon us, and with it, the prospect of reuniting with loved ones and family. At its best, the word “family” conjures feelings of acceptance and belonging. But for many in our community, “family” continues to be a loaded word.

The REPEAL ("Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal") HIV Discrimination Act, introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, addresses the serious problem of discrimination in the use of criminal and civil commitment laws against those who test positive for HIV.

In collaboration with Lambda Legal and Demos, this special report on the courts appeared in the October 2011 issue of The American Prospect magazine. The report, entitled "Justice for Sale", examines the current threat to a fair and impartial American court system.

In recent years, the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has refused to grant tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status to LGBT community centers with a more than insubstantial amount of activities that appear to be social or recreational in nature. LGBT community centers may therefore wish to exercise caution in the amount of such activities that they undertake.

As of October 1, 2009, the State of Nevada allows two people to register as domestic partners. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about registered domestic partnerships.

When and how to get married in New York.

Every year at this time, communities across the United States celebrate Pride. It’s a happy time—a time to relax and be ourselves, reconnect with friends and marvel at the astonishing diversity within our communities—sometimes mixed with bittersweet thoughts as we remember the loved ones we lost.

On February 10, 2011, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) issued a letter to state birth registrars announcing a procedure change allowing a woman to be named as a parent on the Maryland birth certificate of the child born to her same-sex married spouse, without the necessity of a court order.