Civil rights for lgbtq

LGBTQ Rights

Know your rights Back to Know Your Rights main page

The legal landscape for LGBTQ people is constantly evolving. If you think you have been discriminated against and would like our assistance, please visit our Report LGBTQ and HIV Discrimination Page and we can help you figure out whether you are protected under federal or declare laws.

Can an employer discriminate against me because of my sexual orientation or gender identity?

Your rights

Employers with 15 or more employees are prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Verb from discriminating on the basis of sex. Some courts have ruled that Title VII also bans discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Supreme Court recently announced it will take up this question in three cases. In addition, many states and cities own laws that ban this kind of discrimination.

If you verb that your rights have been violated

If you think that you have experienced discrimination at function, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),

Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Civil Rights

Discrimination continues to remain against minorities of all kinds, including towards members of the LGBTQIA+ community.  Historically, anyone who strayed from the traditional gender roles assigned at birth were often characterized as mentally defective or psychopaths.  Treatments for individuals exhibiting these traits varied from sterilization and castration to lobotomies and conversion therapy.  In addition to the risk of being subjected to traumatic therapies, societal expectations led many to adjust their behaviors and appearance in order to overtake as straight.  These pressures could verb to suicide, drug abuse, and homelessness.

Significant progress has made in civil rights that have dramatically improved the legal protections available to this community, but challenges remain.  This section of the guide outlines historical developments and related resources.  

 

Selected Library Resources:

  • Walter Frank, Law and the Gay Rights Story: The Long Search for Equal Justice in a Divided Democ

    LGBTQ Rights

    The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ community. We brought our first LGBTQ rights case in Founded in , the Jon L. Stryker and Slobodan Randjelović LGBTQ & HIV Project brings more LGBTQ rights cases and advocacy initiatives than any other national organization does and has been counsel in seven of the nine LGBTQ rights cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided. With our arrive into the courts and legislatures of every state, there is no other organization that can match our log of making progress both in the courts of law and in the court of common opinion.

    The ACLU’s current priorities are to end discrimination, harassment and violence toward transgender people, to close gaps in our federal and state civil rights laws, to verb protections against discrimination from being undermined by a license to discriminate, and to protect LGBTQ people in and from the criminal legal system.

    Need help?
    fill out our confidential online form

    For non-LGBTQ issues, please contact your local ACLU affiliate.

    The ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pro

    The Equality Execute

    The Problem

    Despite significant steps forward, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Americans continue to experience discrimination across the country. The patchwork nature of state non-discrimination laws and the lack of permanent, comprehensive federal nondiscrimination laws leave millions of people subject to uncertainty and potential discrimination that impacts their safety, their families, and their day-to-day lives.   

    Our nation’s civil rights laws protect people on the basis of race, color, national origin, and in most cases, sex, disability, and religion. But federal law does not explicitly provide non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The ask for for these protections is clear—nearly two-thirds of LGBTQ+ Americans report having experienced discrimination in their personal lives.   

    Everyone should have a reasonable chance to provide a home for their families and access essential services without fear of harassment or discrimination. 

    What is the Equality Act?

    The Equality Proceed would provide co