2. About Lambda Legal
• Lambda Legal is a nonprofit organization that
seeks to improve and protect the rights of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV+
individuals.
• Litigation
• Education
• Public Policy
• Extremely transparent: leadership, financials,
strategic plan
3. What Lambda Does
• Lambda provides information
and educational resources on a
selected set of focus areas
within the LGBTQ community.
Most info focuses on legal
rights.
• Publications and cases related to
each area
• Toolkits and online workshops
• Legal help desk and referrals
• Amicus Curiae briefs
• State specific resources
• Special Events
• Focus Areas
• Marriage & Family
• Teens & Young Adults
• Transgender
• Latino Outreach
• Senior Issues
• Workplace
• Government Misconduct
• HIV
• Healthcare
• Fair courts
• Casework
4. Teens & Young Adults
• Two main focus areas, Schools and Out-of-Home
Care.
• Also includes publications specific to youth and
teens; recommended “best practices” for out-of-
home youth; and a comprehensive “know your
rights” page.
• Current and recent cases and
important news in LGBT youth
issues
• Don’t Erase Us campaign
5. Youth and Schools
• Outlines facts and statistics about LGBT issues
in schools
• Highlights cases that have been especially
prominent in furthering rights in school
settings
• Couch v. Wayne Local School Distract
• “Jesus is not a homophobe” shirt
• Video promoting respect of “out” students
6. Youth in Out-of-Home Care
• Discusses highlighted risks of abuse, neglect, and
suicide among LGBT youth
• Aims to increase awareness among professionals
working with youth – Youth in Out-of-Home Care
Project
• Connections to helpline and resources aimed at
educating youth themselves
• Prominent cases – In the Matter of Brian (a.k.a.
Mariah) L.
• NYC Children’s Services must provide sex reassignment
surgery if medically necessary, BUT court unable to
require specific treatment, and this case essentially
stalled
7. Know Your Rights
• This section is aimed specifically at helping teens
and youth educate themselves about their rights.
• It includes not only established legal rights, but
what to do if you face a situation where the law is
unclear. Provides steps and processes to advocate
for yourself and where to reach out for help if you
need someone to advocate for you.
• Also includes information for Family & Friends and
Educators
8. Publications and Resources
• Includes Fact Sheets, Toolkits, and articles from Impact Magazine.
• Many available in hard copy for free.
• All available to view or download for free.
• Example: Out, Safe, and Respected
• How to Negotiate with Adults
• Your Speech Rights
• Etc.
• Example: Preventing Censorship of LGBTQ Information in Public School
Libraries
• Facts and Stats from organizations such as the CDC that show access to
equitable non-fiction information is crucial
• Examples of students fighting for their rights
• Reasons why LGBTQ fiction is important
• Addresses adding, as well as the prevention of removal of, LGBTQ
materials.
9. Cases
• Includes prominent cases where Lambda Legal either
represented one of the parties or wrote amicus briefs.
• Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley
• Protecting the rights of students and teens to have access to
safe, accurate information about mental health issues,
including counseling services and special consideration of
LGBTQ needs and issues
• Augusta College
• American counseling Association Code of Ethics
• Content includes Complaints (if Lambda acting as
representation), Briefs, Decisions, Other Documents, and
Press Releases.
10. News
• Covers latest news and issues affecting LGBTQ
youth, especially concerning legal matters
• Confirmation of Rev. Meeks as Chair of the
Illinois State Board of Education
• Safety and proper education of LGBTQ youth at
risk
11. • Working to end “no
promo homo” laws
• Mentioning = turning
people gay
• Range from “prohibited
to discuss LGBTQ
persons at all” to
“prohibited to discuss
them in a positive light”
to “required to portray
them in a negative light.”
• Contents:
• FAQ page addresses what the laws are, where the most
onerous ones are found, what they cover, how to fight them,
and why they are harmful and unconstitutional
• Able to join the campaign as a student, faculty member, or
other individual.
• Primarily sex ed, but also art, history, music, science, etc.
12. Involvement
• Teens and Youth can get involved in several ways.
• Throughout the teens and youth pages, there are
ways to become an advocate, educate yourself,
reach out to others, and push for change.
• Volunteer opportunities almost everywhere
nationwide, and for all ages and experience levels
• Donating and fundraising
• Members of the legal profession are always
welcome to join!
• UNC Lambda Law
