Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders

Celebrating 30 years as New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression.

Rights & Resources Transgender Issues

Transgender Issues

Through our Transgender Rights Project, GLAD puts our legislative, litigation, and educational assets to work in a focused way to establish clear, affirmative protections for the transgender community.

At a Glance

Transgender people face serious discrimination in our society, in areas ranging from appropriate medical care to parental rights; from personal identification documents to the freedom to marry. Perhaps most common is the fact that transgender people face harassment and discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation - mistreatment that threatens their freedom to work and live safely in their own communities.

GLAD’s mission embraces the eradication of discrimination based on gender identity and expression across New England. Through our Transgender Rights Project, launched in June, 2008, we put our legislative, litigation, and educational assets to work in a focused way.

We continue to litigate ground-breaking cases in which a transgender person’s rights or liberties are compromised simply because that person does not meet societal expectations of what it means to be a man or a woman.

We work on legislation - ensuring that transgender people are included in anti-discrimination and anti-violence laws at the federal, state, and municipal levels.

Finally, through publications, media and public outreach, and our Legal InfoLine, GLAD works to ensure that transgender people are fully informed of their rights under law.

Learn more about the Transgender Rights Project.

Transgender Issues: Information for Your State

Specific laws can vary
greatly from state to state

For more information, please visit a state page:

GLAD's Work On Transgender Issues

From the Docket

Blanchette v. Saint Anselm College

Settled • 2006

In June 2005, GLAD filed a lawsuit in U. S. District Court… Read More

See GLAD's Full Case Docket »

Legislation

Working for Trans Protection Legislation in MA

March 19, 2008

Legislation to protect citizens from discrimination based on gender identity or expression… Read More

See All Legislative News »

News

GLAD Launches Transgender Rights Project

June 18, 2008

GLAD has announced the launch of a Transgender Rights Project, to be… Read More

Read All GLAD News »

Publications

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The more people know their LGBT and HIV+ family, friends, and neighbors, the more likely they are to support our rights and help us work toward full equality.Read More