All Press Releases
GLAD Files Second Suit Against Federal DOMA for Married Couples in Three More States
(November 9, 2010) Today Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) filed its second major, multi-plaintiff lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the government’s denial of protections and responsibilities to married gay and lesbian couples. …
VT Supreme Court Again Affirms Custody for Janet Jenkins
Contact: Carisa Cunningham (617) 426-1350 ccunningham@glad.org
The Vermont Supreme Court has issued a unanimous decision affirming a trial court’s 2009 order giving Janet Jenkins sole physical and legal custody of her daughter Isabella Miller-Jenkins. The Court’s decision can be viewed on the …
Department of Justice will Appeal GLAD’s Victory in DOMA Lawsuit
Today, the Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal in the case of Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, the challenge brought by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Representing seven married same-sex couples and three widowers, …
GLAD Board Elects Ropes & Gray Attorney Sam Bickett as New Member
Sam Bickett, an associate at Ropes & Gray and former staff attorney for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders has been elected as GLAD’s newest board member.
Bickett hails from North Carolina where he earned his JD degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law and was published in the …
Amended Judgment Entered in GLAD DOMA Challenge
An amended judgment was entered on August 18, 2010, in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, the challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act filed by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). Simultaneously, a stay was issued pending any appeal by the government to the U.S. Court of Appeals for …
Poll: Majority Supports Marriage Equality in Rhode Island
Today, the Rhode Island Marriage Coalition (RIMC) released the results of a new poll showing that 59 percent of Rhode Island voters support allowing same-sex couples to legally marry in the state. This marks the first time a majority of voters voiced support for marriage equality since advocates …
GLAD’s Mary Bonauto Comments on Perry v. Schwarzenegger Decision
GLAD congratulates the couples, the City of San Francisco, and their legal teams for successfully challenging California’s Prop 8. The decision reminds us that the freedom to marry is a long-established right belonging to all Americans, including gay and lesbian Americans. Gay people, like all …
Federal Court Strikes Down DOMA Section 3
Today, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional with respect to claims brought by seven married same-sex couples and three widowers from Massachusetts. Under the ruling, the plaintiffs are entitled to the same federal …
GLAD to Honor Bishop Gene Robinson with Spirit of Justice Award
GLAD is proud to announce the Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay person to be elected bishop in the Episcopal Church, will receive the 2010 Spirit of Justice Award.
Bishop Robinson is the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. Since his consecration in 2003, he has become …
Incarcerated Transgender Woman Can Pursue Case for Appropriate Medical Care
A U.S. district court judge in Massachusetts has denied the government’s request to dismiss the case of Vanessa Adams, a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate with gender identity disorder (GID). For years, the BOP denied Ms. Adams treatment for her serious medical condition. As a result, Ms. …