Blog

8 Ways to Support GLAD Law’s Work for LGBTQ+ Justice

In today’s political climate of increasing threats to our rights, many of us are asking the same question: What can I do to make a difference?

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) has fought and won against tough odds for nearly 50 years. And we aren’t backing down.

Our commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people and our families are recognized, welcomed, and protected throughout our lives has never been stronger – and neither has our resolve to find new ways forward. 

But we can’t do it without you.

Ready to make an impact? Here are eight meaningful ways you can join us in the fight for justice.

1. Make a gift

Every dollar makes a difference, and there are a lot of ways to give. Become a monthly donor to make the biggest impact and help GLAD Law meet the challenges ahead!

GLAD Law staff Qwin Mbabazi and Ivory King smiling behind a table of resources at a GLAD Law event

2. Organize a fundraiser

Help spread the word about GLAD Law’s work and encourage others to donate! Host a fundraising page for a birthday, anniversary, or just because. Start a friendly competition over who can raise the most for LGBTQ+ rights. Learn more.

3. Help host an event

Host a “friendraiser” event! You provide the event space and we’ll help with the logistics and planning. Or join the Host Committee of a GLAD Law event near you to help make it a success. Reach out for details to events@glad.org.

4. Get your workplace involved

Talk to your employer about sponsoring an event! Ask if your workplace has a matching gift program or start one to double your donation’s impact. Contact giving@glad.org to learn more.

5. Join the Lawyer Referral Service

Attorneys can sign up to help provide legal counsel on LGBTQ+ issues to the thousands in need who contact GLAD Law each year. Apply to join or share with a lawyer you know!

6. Volunteer

Donate your time! Sign up to volunteer at events or help staff GLAD Law Answers, our legal information hotline.

GLAD interns in black GLAD t-shirts outside at the 2023 Summer Party

7. Sign up for updates

Get the latest information about your rights, ways to take action, and updates on GLAD Law’s important work for equality. Sign up today, then share GLAD Law with five of your friends!

8. Follow, like, and share on social media

Follow @GLADLaw on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Threads. Engage with us on social media and help spread the word.

These are just a few of the many ways you can get involved and support GLAD Law’s work. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to justice for all.

News

Home

A Message from Organizations Committed to Advancing LGBTQIA2S+ Freedom Beyond the 2024 Elections

Our LGBTQIA2S+ community has risen again and again to meet moments that have challenged our rights, our humanity, and our freedom. Today is no different.

Ours is a long history of never backing down from a fight for our rights. United in our strength, during the most difficult of times, we have pushed forward and achieved significant progress across the decades. From the early days of the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis, to the Stonewall Uprising and HIV/AIDS activism, to achieving marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections in the workplace, to the fight for transgender rights, and beyond, we march on.

For every member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and for those who support us: We’ve got this. We’ve got us. No matter who you are, where you live, or the outcome of yesterday’s election, today we are an LGBTQIA2S+ community united. Together, across races, places, genders, and abilities, we have shown up for each other by organizing, mobilizing, and casting our ballots for the freedom to be ourselves. Our work continues.

Election outcomes at national, state, and local levels will impact our health, our safety, and our rights as LGBTQIA2S+ people and families. Despite anti-LGBTQIA2S+ efforts to divide our communities, and particularly severe attacks against transgender people and LGBTQIA2S+ youth, we have succeeded in moving a few steps closer toward equity and justice for our community. In particular, we celebrate the election of the first openly transgender person to U.S. Congress, Rep. Sarah McBride (Del.), as well as out lawmakers U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson (Texas), and State Rep. Wick Thomas (Mo.), and cementing the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in California, Colorado, and Hawaii.

Across the country, LGBTQIA2S+ organizations and advocates engaged and educated voters, made calls, sent texts, and knocked on doors to ensure every voter had the information necessary to cast a ballot. Every single conversation reflected our commitment to vote for our families, our freedoms, and our futures.

We know that so much more work lies ahead of us. Yet as an LGBTQIA2S+ movement, we will continue to work towards what we always have: a country where all LGBTQIA2S+ people are safe, seen, and accepted for who we truly are, without exception. We are here together, and we will move forward. We’ve got this. We’ve got us.

Shared by:

Advocates for Trans Equality
AIDS United
Arkansas Black Gay Men’s Forum
Basic Rights Oregon
Center for HIV Law and Policy
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Crawfordsville Pride – Crawfordsville, IN
Diversity Richmond
Equality Arizona
Equality California
Equality Connecticut
Equality Delaware
Equality Federation
Equality Florida
Equality Illinois
Equality Michigan
Equality New Mexico
Equality Virginia
Fair Wisconsin
Fairness Campaign
Fairness West Virginia
Family Equality
Friends of Dorothy of Indiana
Gender Justice
Georgia Equality
GLAAD
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law)
Greenwood Indiana Pride
Have A Gay Day Inc.
Human Rights Campaign
Lambda Legal
LGBT Center Orlando, Inc
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
LGBTQ+ Victory Institute
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
MassEquality
Movement Advancement Project
Naper Pride Inc
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
NBJC
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
Ogden Pride
One Colorado
One Iowa
Out Accountability Project
OutFront Minnesota
OutNebraska
PFLAG National
PFLAG Akron
PFLAG Athens, TN
PFLAG Blairsville
PFLAG Bowie
PFLAG Cape Cod
PFLAG Cape Girardeau
PFLAG Carson Region
PFLAG Charlotte
PFLAG Clayton-Concord
PFLAG Corydon – Leavenworth
PFLAG Danville – San Ramon Valley
PFLAG Danville / Central Susquehanna Valley
PFLAG Denver
PFLAG Fort Collins
PFLAG Franklin
PFLAG Franklin-Hampshire
PFLAG Fort Worth
PFLAG Geneva/Tri-Cities
PFLAG Georgetown
PFLAG Greater Boston
PFLAG Greater Orlando
PFLAG Greater Placer County
PFLAG Greensburg
PFLAG Hampton Roads
PFLAG Hartford
PFLAG Jersey Shore
PFLAG Lafayette/Tippecanoe County
PFLAG Lamorinda
PFLAG Lower Columbia
PFLAG Nazareth/Lehigh Valley
PFLAG of Door County
PFLAG Safety Harbor
PFLAG Salisbury Rowan
PFLAG San Diego County
PFLAG Socorro
PFLAG Storm Lake
PFLAG Tulsa
PFLAG Waukesha
Pride Lafayette
Pride Richland County (Illinois)
The Prideful Path Project
Q Center PDX
Queer Vox
Queering The Binary Foundation
SAGE
Silver State Equality
Stonewall Columbus, Inc
Tennessee Equality Project
The Trevor Project
Transformation Project
Transgender Law Center
Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
TransLafayette
TransOhio
Youth Pride Association

News

Home

Statement from Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) on the results of the 2024 election:

Many of us are reeling as we process election results that are devastating for so many in our communities and for our country. But here’s what I know: Together, we are powerful, and we aren’t going anywhere.

As someone who has done this work in Texas, a microcosm of the worst-case scenario many may be imagining right now, I know that strategic resistance leads to a path forward.

The fights to come may be some of the most challenging of our lives. Election results across the country, including in New England, may mean an increase in laws that seek to limit or strip away our fundamental rights and freedoms.

But GLAD Law has fought and won against tough odds for nearly 50 years. When the last Trump administration banned transgender military service members, we fought back immediately – and won. When states have attacked LGBTQ+ youth and families, we’ve met that challenge head-on in the courts. 

What comes next will require fighting on every front – from the courts and state legislatures, to countering the disinformation targeting our communities and ensuring LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV have the information they need to protect and exercise their rights.

We won’t back down. Our commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people and our families are recognized, welcomed, and protected throughout our lives has never been stronger – and neither has our resolve to find new ways forward. 

Post-Election Resources

Blog

Home

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders now also known as GLAD Law!

After nearly 50 years of winning precedent-setting legal victories for our community, we are excited to announce a new chapter: GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders will now also be known as GLAD Law, rather than simply GLAD.

We know that using our long-time acronym ‘GLAD’ has occasionally caused confusion with other organizations with similar names. We’re making the switch to GLAD Law not just to clear up any confusion, but to foreground our legacy of reshaping the legal landscape to advance equality for all. GLAD Law expresses our determination that LGBTQ+ people belong – in our laws, in our Constitution, and in public life.

Our mission isn’t changing. We are as committed as ever to our roots in New England and our national impact fighting discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, or HIV status.

And in today’s climate of increasing threats to civil liberties, legal advocacy, and education about decisions that impact the LGBTQ+ community are more needed than ever. No matter the challenge, GLAD Law will continue to guard against growing extremism, and we will continue to fight for you.

Looking to the future, we’re eager to continue building on GLAD Law’s legacy by working in the courts, in state legislatures, and through public education to tackle emerging threats to LGBTQ+ rights and using our voice to support policies that advance and protect the rights of our community.

We’re so excited to kick off this new chapter at such a critical time. Thank you for your support and allyship as we move forward in this work – together.

News

Home

Leading LGBTQ Civil Rights Litigators Shannon Minter and Jennifer Levi to Receive 2024 Spirit of Justice Award Oct. 25

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders will honor attorneys Shannon Minter and Jennifer Levi, who have long been at the forefront of the contemporary LGBTQ+ legal movement, crafting legal strategies to secure the civil rights of transgender people, successfully advocating for marriage equality and security for LGBTQ parents, establishing protections for LGBTQ+ youth, and advancing and defending nondiscrimination protections

image of Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights and Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders

New England-based GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), one of the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ legal rights organizations, will present its 2024 Spirit of Justice Award to Shannon Minter and Jennifer Levi, two of the foremost LGBTQ+ civil rights attorneys and experts on transgender rights litigation in the country. Minter and Levi will receive the award at the annual Spirit of Justice Award Dinner Oct. 25 in Boston. This event is sold out.

“As we confront significant and growing threats to the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ people, more than ever we need bold defenders of our equality and humanity in state legislatures, mobilizing in their communities, and fighting in the courts,” said Ricardo Martinez, GLAD Law’s Executive Director. “Through their visionary legal work, Shannon Minter and Jennifer Levi have secured — and continue to win — essential court victories that tangibly improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people and provide a foundation on which others in our movement have built. We’re tremendously proud to honor each of them with this year’s Spirit of Justice Award.”

Minter is Legal Director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). Levi is Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. Over legal careers spanning more than three decades, Minter and Levi have, both individually and in partnership, contributed to the development of legal strategies that have shaped the landscape of LGBTQ+ rights jurisprudence.

Minter and Levi have been long-time collaborators at the forefront of legal efforts to secure and defend the civil rights of transgender people, including early foundational victories for transgender students, establishing employment protections, and in cases laying the groundwork to ensure transgender people are protected under laws prohibiting sex discrimination. They co-led the successful legal fight against former President Trump’s 2017 transgender military ban and are currently challenging multiple state laws banning health care for transgender adolescents or restricting care for transgender adults.

In addition to their groundbreaking transgender legal rights work in litigation, legislation and public policy, they have each litigated cases securing marriage equality for same-sex couples, establishing protections for LGBTQ youth, parents, and families, and enforcing non-discrimination protections. In 1993, Minter started the nation’s first Youth Project at an LGBTQ legal organization, at NCLR. Levi litigated her first transgender rights case at GLAD Law in 1999 and formally founded the first Transgender Rights Project at an LGBTQ legal organization in 2008.

“I have had the good fortune to work side by side with Shannon and Jennifer as they have fought to advance the rights of transgender and queer people. Our movement couldn’t have come this far without the legal and policy strategies they pioneered, individually and as collaborators,” said Chai Feldblum, legal scholar, LGBTQ activist, and former Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “It has been the litigation and policy work that Jennifer and Shannon have done over the past many, many years that has provided the real protection for transgender and queer people.”

The Spirit of Justice Award Dinner is GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders’ flagship event, now in its twenty-fifth year. Past Spirit of Justice honorees include Nadine Smith, Tony Kushner, Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, Bishop Gene Robinson, Phill Wilson, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Jose Antonio Vargas, Chai Feldblum, and Kylar Broadus. The 2023 honorees were the plaintiffs in the landmark Goodridge v. MA DPH case that made Massachusetts the first state where same-sex couples could legally marry, in recognition of the 20^th anniversary of that historic ruling.

The 2024 Spirit of Justice Award Dinner is co-chaired by Jamie Bergeron, Gavin Alexander, and Jean-Phillip Brignol. More details are available at glad.org/events/2024SOJ

Blog

Home

What’s at stake in U.S. v Skrmetti?

The Supreme Court will decide an important LGBTQ+ case this session.

U.S. v Skrmetti is about whether state governments can tell families with transgender kids they can’t get their children health care that their doctors recommend, and that will allow them to be healthy, happy young people.

That’s a pretty harmful thing for states to do. Federal courts all over the country have agreed, saying governments can’t make a rule that the same safe effective medical care that is regularly used to help all kinds of kids must be denied only to transgender kids.

That’s discrimination. And what the Supreme Court is going to decide in this case is whether laws like these that deny something to people just because they are transgender go against an important principle in our constitution, that all people should have equal protection under the law.

And in fact the Court has already said something on this question. Just 4 years ago in a 2020 case called Bostock, the Court said that discriminating against someone because they are transgender, or gay or lesbian or bisexual, is discrimination on the basis of sex. Laws that discriminate on the basis of sex are subject to extra scrutiny. That means governments must be able to show a really strong reason why such a law is necessary even though it discriminates against some people. If they can’t show that compelling reason, the law has to go.

The fact is, states haven’t been able show any compelling reason why health care that has been safely used for decades should be denied just to transgender kids. Most federal courts have recognized that is not about health care, it’s about saying trans kids don’t deserve to get care they need like everyone else.

But a handful of higher courts have decided to ignore that important constitutional principle that everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law and say it’s OK to discriminate against some people – in this case transgender people.

So now the Supreme Court is going to weigh in. There’s no reason the Court should say anything different in this case than they said in Bostock in 2020. Making sure people aren’t treated unfairly just because of who they are is key part of what our constitution stands for.

And that’s pretty important to all of us.

Support our work for transgender rights

News

Home

Florida Families File Brief Against Arbitrary Ban on Healthcare for Transgender Youth

“As a parent, it is heartbreaking to see my right to make healthcare decisions for my child taken away by political bullies, and the hurt and harm that has caused my child.”

Yesterday, Florida families challenging the state’s ban on medical care for transgender youth urged the Eleventh Circuit to strike down the ban because it was based on animosity toward transgender people and has no basis in medical science. Striking down the ban would affirm the earlier lower federal court decision, which took this action based on this reasoning.

Federal district court Judge Robert Hinkle issued an order on June 11 declaring that Florida’s ban on medical care for transgender youth and its unprecedented restrictions of care for transgender adults are unconstitutional and may not be enforced. Judge Hinkle issued his order after a multi-day trial including multiple witnesses and experts. In a 105-page decision, Judge Hinkle found that the evidence, including statements made by sponsors and key supporters of the law, overwhelmingly showed that a majority of legislators who voted for these restrictions on healthcare were “motivated by anti-transgender animus.”

“I love my child and want to get her the healthcare she needs,” said Plaintiff Jane Doe, parent of Susan Doe. “As a parent, it is heartbreaking to see my right to make healthcare decisions for my child taken away by political bullies, and the hurt and harm that has caused my child.”

Following Judge Hinkle’s order, the State of Florida appealed his decision to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which will decide whether to affirm or reverse his decision. Last month, a panel of the Eleventh Circuit stayed Judge Hinkle’s order pending its resolution of the appeal, which means that the challenged laws are currently in effect, depriving Florida families and transgender adults of the ability to obtain medical care.

As Judge Hinkle noted in his order, “the overwhelming weight of medical authority” supports making these treatments accessible to transgender people, and permitting Florida to enforce these arbitrary restrictions “will cause needless suffering for a substantial number of patients.”

Judge Hinkle also found that the administrative process that resulted in Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine rules banning medical care for transgender minors was riddled with bias and radical departures from the Boards’ ordinary practices, noting that “the Boards departed from their usual procedures, orchestrated public hearings, and single-mindedly pursued the predetermined outcome sought by the Governor and Surgeon General.” Judge Hinkle further noted that the State of Florida had failed to identify even a single person who has been harmed by the provision of this healthcare in Florida.

The families and adults challenging Florida’s restrictions are represented by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Southern Legal Counsel (SLC), and Lowenstein Sandler LLP.

Learn more about the case Doe v. Ladapo, including the July 11 order denying the State’s request for a stay and the June 11 decision finding Florida’s health care ban unlawful and blocking its enforcement.

News

Home

Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of Transgender Sports Ban Against New Hampshire Students

Ruling allows high school students Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle to participate on their teams with their friends and classmates while their case challenging HB 1205 proceeds

CONCORD, N.H. – A federal court issued an order today blocking enforcement of a New Hampshire law that bans transgender girls from playing on school sports teams, against plaintiffs Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle while their case against it proceeds. The court ruled that the law, HB 1205, discriminates against transgender students in violation of Title IX and the U.S. Constitution.

The judge ruled that “HB 1205, on its face, discriminates against transgender girls,” that it “is not even a close call.” The ruling goes on to say, “The stigma and humiliation that comes from such treatment of a child at the hands of the State is substantial and irreparable.”

The families of Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, represented by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, ACLU of New Hampshire, and Goodwin, filed their federal lawsuit challenging HB 1205 on August 16.

The court issued an earlier emergency order that allowed sophomore Parker Tirrell to join her soccer team for practice and the first games of the season. Today’s ruling broadens that order to include her co-plaintiff, freshman Iris Turmelle who is looking forward to trying out for and playing with the tennis and track and field teams at her new school, and to extend throughout the duration of the case.

“I just want to go to school like other kids, play the game I love, and hang out with my friends. I’m really happy this decision means I don’t have to let my team down for the rest of the season,” said Parker Tirrell.

“It’s a huge relief to know that Parker will be able to keep playing soccer with her friends, which brings her so much joy. This ruling means my daughter can go to school everyday without carrying the weight of being treated differently because of who she is. That’s all her father and I want for her – to be happy, healthy, and know she belongs.” said Sara Tirrell, Parker’s mother.

“I was really looking forward to starting at my new school and trying out for track and tennis, but HB 1205 took that chance away. I just want the same opportunities as other girls at school. I’m really happy to know I now have the chance to try out for a team, learn, play and make new friends,” said Iris Turmelle.

“Iris just started high school which is hard enough for any kid. This decision means she doesn’t have an extra burden on her shoulders. I’m so glad she’ll get the chance to be part of a team, make new friends, and have fun with track and tennis. It gives her dad and me so much peace of mind to know she’ll be treated fairly and can have a safe and happy freshman year.” said Amy Manzelli, Iris’s mother.

The lawsuit, Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut, alleges that HB 1205 denies Parker and Iris equal educational opportunities and singles them out for discrimination solely because they are transgender girls, in violation of federal law and constitutional guarantees of equal protection. The law denies them the many educational, social, and physical and mental health benefits that come with playing sports, and isolates them from friends and teammates.

In addition to today’s ruling, two federal courts of appeal and multiple federal district courts have issued rulings finding laws like HB 1205 which categorically ban transgender girls from participation in school sports to be unlawful discrimination.

Parker, Iris, and their families are represented by Chris Erchull, Ben Klein, and Jennifer Levi at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Henry Klementowicz and Gilles Bissonnette at the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Louis Lobel, Kevin DeJong, and Elaine Blais at Goodwin.

“Today’s ruling is clear: New Hampshire cannot justify singling out students to deny them essential educational benefits simply because they are transgender. We are pleased the court understands that Parker and Iris, along with all other transgender students in New Hampshire, deserve access to the countless benefits school sports provide, including physical and mental health, leadership skills, and social development.” said Chris Erchull, Senior Staff Attorney, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

“Today’s court order is a positive step forward in restoring access not just for Parker and Iris but every child in the Granite State who has a right to equal opportunities at school guaranteed under the law. Laws that aim to exclude, single out, and discriminate against transgender youth have no place in New Hampshire and we are happy to see the court recognize how unconstitutional and harmful they are.” said Henry Klementowicz, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU of New Hampshire.

“Parker and Iris are deserving of an equal education, like every other student. We are pleased the court acted so quickly to ensure they are allowed to continue playing sports with their teammates while the case against HB 1205 proceeds,” said Louis Lobel, Associate, Goodwin.

Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire.

Learn more about Tirrell and Turmell v. Edelblut.

News

Home

Advocates Respond to U.S. Department of Justice Lawsuit Against State of Maine for Failures in Maine’s Children’s Behavioral Health System

The suit comes after more than two years of negotiations between the parties

Augusta – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against the State of Maine based on its June 2022 findings that Maine discriminated against youth with disabilities by failing to maintain an adequate system of behavioral health services that prevent institutionalization. The lawsuit comes after settlement negotiations broke down.

“Twenty-five years after the landmark Supreme Court decision Olmstead v. L.C., which found that unnecessarily segregating people with disabilities into institutional settings violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, Maine children and their families are still waiting for a legally compliant behavioral health system. And despite calls for more than a decade to ensure the availability of those services, Maine has failed to do so. Unfortunately, this lawsuit was the necessary result of that continued failure,” said Atlee Reilly, Managing Attorney, Disability Rights Maine.

After initially receiving a complaint filed by Disability Rights Maine, the U.S. DOJ conducted a lengthy investigation and found:

“Maine’s community-based behavioral health system fails to provide sufficient services. As a result, hundreds of children are unnecessarily segregated in institutions each year, while other children are at serious risk of entering institutions.”
“Children are unable to access behavioral health services in their homes and communities—services that are part of an existing array of programs that the State advertises to families through its Medicaid program (MaineCare), but does not make available in a meaningful or timely manner.”
“Maine children with behavioral health needs are eligible and appropriate for the range of community-based services the State offers, but either remain in segregated settings or are at serious risk of institutionalization.”
“Families and children in Maine are overwhelmingly open to receiving services in integrated settings. In fact, parents indicated a strong preference that their children receive services at home due to trauma, neglect, and abuse that their children reportedly endured in residential facilities within and outside of Maine.”

Those findings should not have been a surprise to the State of Maine, which had been on clear notice of the widespread inadequacy of its community-based behavioral health system for children when a comprehensive assessment concluded, in 2018, that children’s behavioral health services were not available when needed, or not available at all. Two years later, a separate independent assessment of the juvenile justice system found that many youth are detained and incarcerated at Long Creek because they could not access appropriate community-based services for their behavioral and mental health needs.

What was true in 2018 remains true today- Maine continues to fail to ensure that children with disabilities have access to the community-based behavioral health services they need in their homes and communities. As a result, children with disabilities in Maine are unnecessarily institutionalized in residential facilities, including at Long Creek and in other residential facilities both inside and outside the state, severing their ties to family and community. This violates their right, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, to receive services in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs.

“When kids can access treatment and support close to home, they can stay connected with their families and communities,” said ACLU of Maine Legal Director Carol Garvan. “Unfortunately, for far too long, Maine has not ensured these services. Since 2016, we have been working to address human rights violations at Long Creek, but not enough has been done. Maine must provide its kids the services they need to live healthy and safe lives.”

“Maine children with disabilities and their families deserve what the law requires, which is community-based behavioral health services. The failure to provide those services harms children, strains and fragments families, and ripples across communities. Maine can and must step up to meet its obligations with the services the law requires,” said Mary Bonauto, Senior Director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders.

As the U.S. DOJ indicated in its complaint,

“Maine can implement reasonable modifications so that children with behavioral health disabilities can live and thrive in integrated settings instead of entering institutions to access care.”
“But instead of modifying its service system to prevent and resolve unnecessary segregation, Maine has prioritized expanding its institutional services.”

Read the DOJ press release.

News

Home

We are heartbroken to learn that a transgender teenager was assaulted in Gloucester at the end of last week. We hope for a quick and full recovery from his injuries, and that he has the support he will need to heal from this traumatic incident. Family support plays a critical role in ensuring LGBTQ+ youth are protected and able to thrive, and we are heartened to know this young man has a loving advocate in his mother. As the investigation into what happened Friday proceeds, we hope that both the school and wider community are able to learn from this incident and turn toward kindness and away from violence.

To this young man and his family, and to all LGBTQ+ youth in Gloucester, throughout Massachusetts, and across the country, know that you are loved, you are supported, and you belong.

If you are an LGBTQ+ youth or family member looking for resources, you are not alone.

Trans Lifeline

Peer support phone service run by transgender people for trans and questioning peers. Call if you need someone trans to talk to, even if you’re not in a crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans.

Visit TransLifeline.org or call 877-565-8860.
Español: Visite a TransLifeline.org/es o llame al 877-565-8860 y presione 2 para conectarse con operadores que se hablan español.

Trevor Project

Suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and support for LGBTQ+ young people.

For support, call 1-866-488-7386, text ‘START’ to 678-678, or chat with a counselor online at TheTrevorProject.org/get-help.
For resources, visit TheTrevorProject.org/resources.

GLAD Answers

GLAD’s free and confidential resource for legal information, assistance, and referrals.

Visit GLADAnswers.org, email GLADAnswers@glad.org or leave a voicemail at 800-455-GLAD.