Massachusetts News
Spirit of Justice to Honor John Ward
GLAD founder John Ward made history in 1978. He was the first openly gay male lawyer to practice in Boston. He fought against anti-gay measures in the city. And he started an organization that would win vital legal and civil rights for LGBT and HIV+ people throughout New England and the …
Governor Patrick Signs Repeal of 1913 Law
Update: The anti-gay group MassResistance has filed paperwork for a referendum essentially to repeal the repeal of the 1913 law. In a letter, the Attorney General’s office deemed that the question meets the constitutional requirements for a referendum. MassResistance must now gather the …
Trans Protection Legislation in MA and CT
Legislation to protect citizens from discrimination based on gender identity or expression is pending in both Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Info Sheet on the CT Bill [PDF]
Q & A on the CT Bill [PDF]
Read Attorney Jennifer Levi’s testimony in support of the CT Bill [PDF]
Read The text of MA …
Victory for Teenaged Girl with HIV
GLAD applauds the February 19 decision by the Massachusetts Court of Appeal in favor of 18-year-old Ashley Shaw, who has sought for three years to get MassHealth to cover her HIV-related surgery. The unanimous decision today affirms her right to access to care.
Read GLAD’s Press Release [PDF]
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Verdict Watch is On in Transgender/IRS Trial
GLAD and the IRS have completed post-trial briefing in the case of O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. In this case, Rhiannon O’Donnabhain sued the IRS after their refusal to treat her expenses for hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery as a legitimate medical deduction. A …
Appeals Court Upholds School’s Right to Teach About Family Diversity
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit today unanimously affirmed District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf’s dismissalof a lawsuit brought by two sets of parents against the Lexington school system. In the suit, parents David and Tonia Parker and Robert and Robin Wirthlin claimed that a …
GLAD Files Amicus Brief in Massachusetts Loss of Consortium Lawsuit
GLAD has filed an amicus brief in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in a medical malpractice case involving an alleged failure to appropriately test for and diagnose breast cancer. The case raises the question of whether the now-surviving same-sex spouse has the right to bring a claim for …
GLAD Cheers Defeat of Anti-Gay, Anti-Marriage Equality Measure
The Massachusetts Legislature voted 151 - 45 to defeat an anti-gay, anti-marriage equality amendment. With today’s vote, the equality GLAD won in the Goodridge decision stands safe in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Affirms Marriages of New York Same-Sex Couples
Massachusetts should not have barred lesbian and gay couples from New York from marrying in Massachusetts prior to July 6, 2006, according to a judgment entered by a Massachusetts court on May 10, 2007. The ruling means that New York couples who married in Massachusetts before July 6, 2006 have a …
Support for Trans Protections in Massachusetts
On Tuesday, May 15, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), The Gay and Lesbian Labor Activist Network (GALLAN), and Clock in for Equality - National Day of Action for Workplace Equality sponsored a Transgender Equality Lobby Day to support passage of House Bill 1722, “An Act …