Post-Election Stress and Adoption
Yesterday morning, following President-Elect Trump’s win, I met with a young married couple about a step-parent adoption. They were two women, and the meeting opened with tears. It was heartbreaking. Adoption consultations are usually some of our most joyous — a happy couple, either planning for or expecting a child. Yesterday, though, was the morning after […]
U.S. Supreme Court Decision Underscores that Second Parent Adoption Remains Critical for Same Sex Parents
“You still have to adopt your children.” I have said this more times than I can count since the United States Supreme Court decisions on same sex marriage equality United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges. Why? Many same-sex couples who have a child who is biologically related to one parent and not the other […]
Why, After the Supreme Court Marriage Ruling, Same Sex Spouses Should Still Adopt Their Non-Biological Children
It has been less than one week since the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision holding that the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution requires states to license marriages between two people of the same sex and to recognize lawful out-of-state marriages between two people of the same sex. Love won. Very understandably, we have already received multiple questions regarding […]
Good News on FMLA for Same Sex Spouses
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published its Final Rule regarding the definition of “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor, which found Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be unconstitutional. The Final Rule, which takes […]
Transgender Girl’s Plight Sheds Light on Imprisonment of Juveniles
Below is a post written by Gideon, of A Public Defender. I suppose it takes a blatant misstep by a governmental agency to draw attention to any injustice and so it seems is the case with Jane Doe, the transgender self-identifying girl who has been transferred from DCF. Department of Children and Families] custody to the adult […]
We Are Family: New U.S. Custom’s Rule Liberalizes Declaration Process for Same Sex Couples and Their Families
It was a glorious vacation out of the country. Happy but tired from travel, you begin filling out a Customs Declaration for your family on the plane home to the United States . But wait, you wonder. Are we a family? In the Windsor decision, the United States Supreme Court held that restricting the federal interpretation […]
Ten Connecticut Companies Earn Perfect Scores on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index
Last week we discussed how Connecticut cities fared in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2013 Municipal Equality Index. This week, the Human Rights Campaign released its 12th annual Corporate Equality Index.
So how did Connecticut-based companies do this year?
The HRC Foundation
Nelson Mandela and Gay Rights: “The True Test of our Devotion to Freedom is Just Beginning.”
Today, the world mourns the loss of Nelson Mandela. My law school Sexual Orientation and the Law professor devoted time to the post-apartheid South African constitution — a document that has been heralded as the new international model and which would not exist but for Nelson Mandela’s leadership. The South African constitution includes the freedom from […]
Hartford and New Haven Score at the Top of 2013 Human Rights Campaign LGBT Municipal Equality Index
The Human Rights Campaign and Equality Federation have released their second annual national Municipal Equality Index, an evaluation of a “city’s laws and policies and an examination of how inclusive city services are of LGBT people.” Cities are rated on a scale of 0-100, based on the city’s laws, policies, benefits, and services. There are 100 […]
