The National Center for Lesbian Rights Newsletter | SUMMER 2012 FOR JUSTICE NCLR NCLRights.org Facebook.com/NCLRights Twitter.com/NCLRights YouTube.com/NCLRights BLOG NCLRights.WordPress.com NCLR Celebrates 35 Years Snapshots from NCLR’s 35th Anniversary Celebration. More than 1,500 people celebrated NCLR’s 35th Anniversary SAVE THE DATE: Celebration in San Francisco on May 5th, 2012, recognizing the NEXT YEAR’S ANNIVERSARY accomplishments of six student plaintiffs from Minnesota’s CELEBRATION IS Anoka-Hennepin School District and the fabulous Jane Lynch. MAY 18, 2013 When Dylon Frei stepped up to the podium at the The six students—Dylon, Brittany Geldert, Damian is proud to be out, and someone who is unafraid Anniversary Celebration to accept an award for McGee-Backes, Ebonie Richardson, Kyle Rooker, to speak up,” Dylon told the crowd. “I learned his courage, he did so with a confidence he didn’t and Kyrstin Schuette—were honored with NCLR’s that one voice is enough to create change, and have a few years ago. Courage Award for standing up to the district, six voices can make a lasting impact that will which resolved the lawsuit in March 2012 by “I’m gay—and I’m happy,” the 15-year-old said to benefit thousands of other students now and in agreeing to sweeping changes to protect those a roar of applause from the sell-out crowd before the future.” who either are or are perceived to be LGBT. accepting his award and waving it over his head. Brittany couldn’t contain her emotions as she One-by-one, the students told the audience about Just last year, Dylon joined five other students stepped up to the podium—choking back tears as their experiences, but more importantly how their who filed a federal gender and sexual orientation partygoers shouted, “we love you” and “you go lives—and the lives of countless classmates—have harassment lawsuit against Minnesota’s Anoka- girl”—and said she got involved with the lawsuit changed for the better since they decided to Hennepin School District, challenging a district to try to stop bullying in the district, which was speak out against the policy. policy that made it difficult for staff to protect labeled a “contagion area” after nine students them from anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and “It was through the lawsuit that I really found who had attended district schools took their own transgender bullying. myself—someone who is young, someone who lives between 2009-2011. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3… THE Maryland AAGENDA Maryland Marriage Obama’s Work NCLR Helps Launch “Why I Have to Update on NCLR’s Donor Profile: NCLR Case Highlights Advancing Nike LGBT Sports Speak Out” Active Work Talks with Julie Hash Emerging Issue LGBT Issues Summit and Carol Meyer PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 12 2 OUT FOR JUSTICE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOLLOW KATE @ Stay Up-To-Date with NCLR! NCLR is committed to fighting for your rights, and keeping you informed of all the legal Facebook.com/KateKendell decisions and key policies that impact your lives, as well as the lives of your family and friends. Twitter.com/KateKendell As always, our legal team provides you with KATE’S BLOG NCLRights.org/KatesBlog comprehensive analysis of important legal developments, breaking down and interpreting legal issues for you, and, in the process, answering your questions about how these issues affect you. Log on, sign up for our email list, and stay tuned MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR in to all of our latest work and LGBT news. NCLRights.org Facebook.com/NCLRights Making History, and Twitter.com/NCLRights YouTube.com/NCLRights Celebrating It! NCLRights.WordPress.com As I write this, I am still buzzing from both the NCLR 35th Do You Tweet @NCLRights? Anniversary Celebration and President Obama’s announcement Comment on Facebook? fully affirming the dignity and equality of same-sex couples When you tweet and Facebook us, we listen— by supporting our freedom to marry. THAT, my friends, makes and we love hearing what you have to say. for a pretty awesome start to summer! Let us know what you’re thinking. We’ll publish some of our favorite tweets and Facebook Our Anniversary Celebration was a perfect mix of emotion and pure fun. We honored the six posts here and in our e-newsletter. students in our lawsuit against Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin School District who stood up to a virulently anti-LGBT district policy AND those who took the policy as license to terrorize kids who were “different.” John Bare @JBinSFO Five of our clients joined us for the evening, four of them with their parents. The fabulous I am always overcome with emotion as we Wilson Cruz presented them with the NCLR Courage Award, saying, in part, that they “made conclude another @NCLRights gala, this their history by making district schools safer for all students.” When each of the kids spoke, stand- #nclr35th. I am TRULY privileged 2B among ing with their parents and attorneys, truly being embraced by more than 1,000 loving folks such heroes who fully supported them, well, let’s just say, the tissues were out in full force. Later at the Anniversary Party, these five young people, all of whom had been made to feel, in the words of one, “gross,” danced up on the stage for two full hours. The lump in my throat never left. Claire Bernish We also honored the legendary Jane Lynch. Jane and her wife, Lara Embry, are great friends to NCLR, and despite enormous popularity and success, Jane is unfailingly gracious. Lara xoxo ♥ presented her wife with the NCLR Vanguard Award and I think it is safe to say that her tribute marks the first time an award recipient has ever been referred to as a “muff-diver.” It was a hilarious moment in a heartfelt and loving speech. Jane, as always, credited others for her success and demonstrated once again why she is a role model. Two days after the Celebration, I headed to New York and it was there, standing with NCLR Deputy Director Arcelia Hurtado in front of Lincoln Center that we heard the news of Obama’s support for marriage equality. Arcelia and I screamed and hugged. It is a tremendous thing to have the unconditional support of our President in affirming our full humanity and dignity. In the days that followed, more people and organizations—Colin Powell, Jay-Z and the NAACP—have also come out in support of marriage equality. Now, many weeks later, it is clear that something has shifted—we are never going back, and a new high water mark has What’s That? been reached. The arc has tilted just a bit more. Wondering what that strange looking symbol We are living in an amazing, complicated, fascinating, and troubling time. We are called to is above? It’s a QR code! We’ve placed them engage and respond and care as never before. At NCLR, we do our best, day in and day out, throughout the newsletter for easier and faster to answer the call. We never doubt the privilege it is to do this work, we never question the access to more content on our website. outcome, and we never lose hope that every small act makes an impact. We have been doing Here’s How To Use It… this for 35 years—and look at where we are now. You have been with us every step of the way. 1 Search for and install a free QR reader app Your support, faith, and encouragement have brought us to this day. Thank you and onward. on your smart phone or tablet. 2 Launch the app and focus your device’s built-in camera on any QR code. 3 Click ‘scan’. Voila…you’re connected with online Kate Kendell, Esq. content in seconds! SUMMER 2012 3 MARRIAGE Wedlocked No More! Maryland Victory Sheds Light On An Emerging Issue for Married Same-Sex Couples Across the Country What would you do if you were married to a same-sex partner and wanted to end your relationship, but lived in a state that won’t allow you to divorce? Across the country, more lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Maryland people are finding themselves in this situation. Professor Nancy Polikoff, drafted similar legisla- recognized marriages from other states, By Shannon Price Minter, Esq. tion for the District of Columbia. That legislation regardless of whether the couple could have NCLR Legal Director went into effect May 31. Vermont passed similar married in Maryland, and asked the Court to legislation, which went into effect on July 1. apply the same rule to the marriages of same-sex couples. Lambda Legal and Maryland attorneys Every year, more states and countries allow NCLR has also been helping family law attorneys Mark Scurti and Leslie Stellman of Hodes, Pessin same-sex couples to marry. But in the states that across the country develop the best legal and Katz, represented the other spouse. continue to bar same-sex couples from marriage, arguments to help couples facing this stressful a new legal question is emerging: will the state dilemma. In some states, trial courts are On May 18, 2012, in a unanimous decision, the permit married same-sex couples to divorce, quietly granting divorces or using other legal Maryland high court adopted our arguments even though it will not allow them to marry? mechanisms to dissolve these marriages. and ruled that Maryland must recognize these marriages. We are thrilled by this decision, which If not, these couples are stuck in a terrible legal In other states, appellate courts—which have means not only that married same-sex couples limbo.