imported>Cathodography: mdy dates

2025-06-27T16:47:08Z

mdy dates

New page

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Short description|American non-profit law firm}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = National Center for LGBTQ Rights
| logo = File:National Center for LGBTQ Rights logo.jpg
| type =
| founded_date = 1977
| founder = [[Donna Hitchens]]
| location = {{flagcountry|USA}}
| origins =
| key_people = [[Imani Rupert-Gordon]] (President) [[Shannon Minter]] (Legal Director)
| area_served =
| product =
| focus = Civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families
| method = Litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education
| revenue =
| endowment =
| num_volunteers =
| num_employees =
| num_members =
| subsib =
| owner =
| Non-profit_slogan =
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.nclrights.org|www.NCLRights.org}}
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}

The '''National Center for LGBTQ Rights''' (formerly the '''National Center for Lesbian Rights''')<ref name="nclr-namechange">{{Cite web |last=Rupert-Gordon |first=Imani |date=2025-06-08 |title=New Name. New Look. Always NCLR |url=https://www.nclrights.org/new-name-new-look-always-nclr/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=National Center for LGBTQ Rights |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="bar-9jun2025"/> is a [[Non-profit organization|non-profit]], public interest [[law firm]] in the United States that advocates for equitable public policies affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, provides free legal assistance to LGBT clients and their legal advocates, and conducts community education on LGBT legal issues.<ref>[https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2006/07/16/glo02.asp "For gay rights movement, a key setback"], ''New York Times''.</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/calif-marriage-law-found-unconstitutional "Calif. Marriage Law Found Unconstitutional"] ''The Associated Press '' and ''Fox News''.</ref> It is headquartered in [[San Francisco]] with a policy team in [[Washington, DC]].<ref name="stripes">{{Cite news |publisher=The Advocate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K2QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33 |title=NCLR earns its stripes |date=June 7, 2005 |last=Rostow |first=Anne}}</ref><ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0304-10.htm "Same-Sex Couples Ask California Supreme Court to Strike Down Marriage Ban: California Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on March 4"] Joint Pree Release with NCLR</ref> It is the only organization in the United States dedicated to lesbian legal issues,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zimmerman |first=Bonnie |title=Lesbian histories and cultures: an encyclopedia |page=219 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0EUoCrFolGcC&pg=PA219 |year=2000 |publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780815319207 }}</ref> and the largest national lesbian organization in terms of members.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Girls Next Door |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PY_OjnGekjwC&pg=PT42 |page=38 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=1997 |last=Van Gelder |first=Lindsy |author2=Pamela Robin Brandt|isbn = 9780684839578}}</ref>

Through [[impact litigation]], public policy advocacy, public education, collaboration with other social justice organizations and activists, and direct legal services, the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) advances the legal and human rights of LGBT people and their families across the United States.

==History==
NCLR was founded as the Lesbian Rights Project in 1977 by [[Donna Hitchens]] and other members of [[Equal Rights Advocates]]. [[Roberta Achtenberg]] served as the second executive director.<ref name="stripes"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gjcUFK4RZNcC&pg=PA229 |page=229 |title=Gay and lesbian rights: a reference handbook |last=Newton |first=David E. |year=2009 |publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781598843071 }}</ref> [[Kate Kendell]] served as executive director from 1996 to 2018.<ref name="advocate-17dec2019">{{cite news |last1=Ring |first1=Trudy |title=National Center for Lesbian Rights Leader on Making a Movement for All |url=https://www.advocate.com/news/2019/12/17/national-center-lesbian-rights-leader-making-movement-all |access-date=December 17, 2019 |work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |date=December 17, 2019}}</ref> In December 2019, NCLR announced [[Imani Rupert-Gordon]] would be the next executive director, beginning March 2020. Cindy Myers served as ED in the interim.<ref name="advocate-17dec2019" /><ref name="nclr-ed">{{cite web |title=NCLR Names Imani Rupert-Gordon as New Executive Director |url=http://www.nclrights.org/about-us/nclr-names-imani-rupert-gordon-as-new-executive-director |website=NCLR |date=17 December 2019 |access-date=December 17, 2019}}</ref>

On June 9, 2025, the organization changed their name from the National Center for Lesbian Rights to the National Center for LGBTQ Rights.<ref name="bar-9jun2025">{{cite news |last1=Laird |first1=Cynthia |title=SF-based LGBTQ legal organization changes name |url=https://www.ebar.com/story/155112/ |access-date=June 9, 2025 |work=[[Bay Area Reporter]] |date=June 9, 2025}}</ref>

==Work==
The NCLR runs a hotline to provide information to callers with legal questions related to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In November 2014, as part of the NLCR's ''#BornPerfect'' campaign,<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=The New Campaign to End Gay Conversion Therapy|url=https://time.com/2907989/bornperfect-gay-conversion-reparative-therapy/|access-date=2022-02-13|magazine=Time|language=en}}</ref> Samantha Ames and [[Sam Brinton|Samuel Brinton]] testified before the [[UN Committee Against Torture]], the first ever to do so regarding the practice of [[conversion therapy]] as being a potential violation of human rights law.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UN panel questions gay conversion therapy in US|url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/gay-conversion-therapy-un-committee-msna458431|access-date=2022-02-13|website=MSNBC.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Notable cases==
Notable cases in which the firm has been a primary counsel include ''[[In re Marriage Cases]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_marriage_ca |publisher=NCLR |title=In re Marriage Cases — Case Home |work=Case Docket |access-date=2010-12-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510091747/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_marriage_ca |archive-date=2011-05-10 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://articles.cnn.com/2008-05-15/us/same.sex.marriage_1_lesbian-couples-marriage-licenses-shannon-minter?_s=PM:US |publisher=CNN |date=May 15, 2008 |title=California ban on same-sex marriage struck down |access-date=December 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202034503/http://articles.cnn.com/2008-05-15/us/same.sex.marriage_1_lesbian-couples-marriage-licenses-shannon-minter?_s=PM:US |archive-date=December 2, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Strauss v. Horton]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_Prop8LegalChallenge_About |publisher=NCLR |title=About the Prop 8 Legal Challenge |work=Case Docket |access-date=2011-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite court |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/law/supreme_court/documents/prop8pdf.pdf |litigants=Strauss v. Horton |reporter=Cal. 4th |volume=46 |opinion=364 |date=May 26, 2009 |court=Cal.}}</ref> and ''[[Christian Legal Society v. Martinez]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |work=Case Docket |title=Christian Legal Society v. Kane |url=http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_christianlegal_v_martinez |publisher=NCLR |access-date=2010-12-08 |archive-date=2010-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826003426/http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_christianlegal_v_martinez |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/17/AR2010041702908.html |last=Barnes |first=Robert |title=Supreme Court to consider case against California law school |newspaper=Washington Post |date=April 18, 2010}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Coalition of Activist Lesbians Australia]] – national lesbian rights organization in Australia.
* [[Roberta Achtenberg]] - second executive director.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.nclrights.org Official site]
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:National Center For Lesbian Rights}}
[[Category:Lesbian organizations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Civil liberties advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:Legal advocacy organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:LGBTQ political advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:1977 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1977]]
[[Category:Organizations based in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Law in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:LGBTQ culture in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Lesbian culture in California]]
[[Category:Lesbian culture in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Social justice organizations]]

National Center for LGBTQ Rights - Revision history

imported>Cathodography: mdy dates