Family

Our Work

Find Your State

Know the laws in your state that protect LGBT people and people living with HIV.

Legal Help Desk

Call us or submit your legal questions online.

Learn More

Know Your Rights

Learn More
Protecting families and working for the freedom to marry
Protecting families and
defending the freedom to marry

From protecting the freedom to marry to defending domestic partnership benefits and securing parent-child relationships, Lambda Legal protects same-sex couples and their families through a broad range of litigation, education and advocacy strategies.

Related Cases

  • Colosimo v. Berryhill

    Lambda Legal filed a motion on behalf of a 75-year-old gay man arguing that the Social Security Administration’s denial of spousal survivor’s benefits to him, on the grounds that he was not recognized as married for long enough despite discriminatory marriage laws that prevented him from marrying earlier, is unconstitutional. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Frederick Colosimo, who was in a 43-year committed relationship with his husband, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, argues that SSA’s imposition of a nine-month marriage requirement for Social Security survivor’s benefits is unconstitutional where same-sex couples were not able to be recognized as married for nine months because of discriminatory marriage laws. Learn More

  • Gonzales v. Berryhill

    Lambda Legal filed a motion on behalf of a 63-year-old gay man arguing that the Social Security Administration’s denial of spousal survivor’s benefits to him, on the grounds that he was not married for long enough despite marrying on the very first day when he was allowed to do so, is unconstitutional. Learn More

  • Ely v. Berryhill

    A lawsuit against the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of a 65-year-old gay man seeking spousal survivor’s benefits based on his 43-year relationship with his husband, who died seven months after Arizona began allowing same-sex couples to marry. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Michael Ely in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona argues that SSA’s imposition of a nine-month marriage requirement for social security survivor’s benefits is unconstitutional where same-sex couples were not able to be married for nine months because of discriminatory marriage laws. Learn More

Latest News

This NC Widower Was Denied Social Security Survivor's Benefits. We're Suing.

January 17, 2019

Lambda Legal Sues Social Security Administration for Third Same-Sex Widower Denied Survivor’s Benefits

December 13, 2018

The Social Security Administration Denied A Gay Widower Spousal Benefits. We're Suing.

November 20, 2018
More