National/Federal Know Your Rights - Page 53 of 59 - GLAD Law
Перейти от заголовка к содержанию
GLAD Logo Пропустить основную навигацию к содержанию

Пассаро против Байера

Update, September 2014: Through proactive discussions and careful deliberation amongst our legal representatives, we have jointly reached an agreement, the terms of which are confidential, that results in the spousal survivor benefit requested.  We are pleased that Jerry is going to be receiving these benefits, and we are equally pleased with the manner in which Bayer has addressed and resolved this legal issue.

История болезни

Новости

(Бостон, Массачусетс) Джон Абдалла Вамбере, известный гей-активист из Уганды, снявшийся в документальных фильмах «Зови меня Кучу» и «Миссионеры ненависти», сегодня подал заявление о предоставлении убежища в Соединенных Штатах.

Вамбере уже четырнадцать лет является активистом, являясь соучредителем организации Spectrum Uganda Initiatives, в рамках которой он работает над обеспечением безопасности ЛГБТИ-сообщества, снижением стигматизации, помощью ЛГБТИ-сообществу в Уганде, находящимся под арестом, и просвещением по вопросам ВИЧ. В последние годы ЛГБТИ-сообщество в Уганде подвергается всё более частым публичным, политическим и физическим нападениям, кульминацией которых стало принятие Закона о борьбе с гомосексуализмом и его подписание президентом Йовери Мусевени 24 февраля 2014 года.

«Это было очень, очень трудное решение для меня», — сказала Вамбере. «Я посвятила свою жизнь работе с ЛГБТИ-людьми в Уганде, и мне очень больно быть не со своим сообществом, союзниками и друзьями, когда на них нападают всё чаще. Но в глубине души я знаю, что это единственный выход, и что в тюрьме я не принесу пользы своему сообществу».

Закон о борьбе с гомосексуализмом ужесточает наказания за однополые отношения, вплоть до пожизненного заключения. Он также вводит новые наказания за любые действия, которые рассматриваются как «пособничество и подстрекательство к гомосексуализму» и «пропаганда гомосексуализма». Закон имеет широкую сферу применения и криминализирует даже активизм и просветительскую работу в сфере общественного здравоохранения, связанную с представителями ЛГБТИ, включая ВИЧ-инфицированных.

«Джону просто небезопасно возвращаться в Уганду», — заявил Янсон Ву, старший юрист организации Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), представляющей интересы Вамбере. «Ещё до подписания законопроекта газеты разоблачали Джона как гея, он подвергался преследованиям со стороны незнакомцев, получал угрозы убийством по анонимным телефонным звонкам, был выселен из дома и избит. Теперь ему также грозит пожизненное заключение в случае возвращения».

После подписания законопроекта 30 000 угандийцев собрались на стадионе на митинг, чтобы поблагодарить президента за подписание закона. Они слушали ораторов, которые называли представителей ЛГБТИ «преступниками», «животными» и «дьяволами». После подписания законопроекта представители ЛГБТИ в Уганде были арестованы, некоторые ушли в подполье, а другие бежали из страны. Полиция внедрила в организацию, занимающуюся борьбой с ВИЧ, и закрыла её.

Антигейские настроения в Уганде пропагандировались американскими евангелистами, такими как Скотт Лайвли, который ездил в страну, чтобы проповедовать и продвигать законопроект, который в то время назывался «Убейте геев», поскольку он предусматривал смертную казнь, которая была отменена.

«Соединённые Штаты могут сделать две очень важные вещи», — заявила Эллисон Райт, штатный юрист GLAD. «Мы можем предоставить более безопасную гавань, где смелые представители ЛГБТ-сообщества Уганды смогут продолжать высказываться и добиваться перемен; и мы можем работать над тем, чтобы остановить экспорт предрассудков, осуждая попытки американцев распространять гомофобию в других странах».

Сокращенный и отредактированный текст Джона Абдаллы Вамбере аффидевит для получения убежища можно прочитать на веб-сайте GLAD по адресу www.gladlaw.org/вамбере.

Помимо GLAD, Джона Вамбере представляет Хема Саранг-Сиемински из адвокатского бюро Хемы Саранг-Сиемински.

In re Wambere

Update November 26, 2014: John “Longjones” Abdallah Wambere received a letter from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services informing him that his application for asylum has been fully approved.

September 11, 2014: John “Longjones” Abdallah Wambere has been recommended for asylum in the United States.  In a letter dated September 11, 2014,  the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services informed Wambere that his application was recommended for approval, pending a routine security check. Читать далее.

Read John’s Statement

John Wambere had an interview August 25, 2014 with an asylum officer at the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services about his application for asylum. In conjunction with the interview and in support of John’s application, we submitted the Uganda Country Conditions Report, which can be read here.

GLAD has filed an application for asylum on behalf of John Abdallah Wambere, a prominent Ugandan gay activist who was featured in the documentaries Call Me Kuchu и Missionaries of Hate. We are working in collaboration with Boston immigration attorney Hema Sarang-Sieminski of the Law Office of Hema Sarang-Sieminski.

John was in Massachusetts raising visibility for his work with the LGBTI community in Uganda when on February 24 President Museveni signed into law the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act. This law provides harsh penalties – including life imprisonment – for same-sex relationships, as well as for any activities deemed to “promote homosexuality.”

It is not safe for John to return to Uganda. Even before the bill was signed, John was outed as gay by newspapers, harassed by strangers, evicted from his home, beaten up, and received death threats from anonymous phone calls.  Now he also faces life imprisonment should he return.

Wambere has been an activist for fourteen years, as a co-founder of Spectrum Uganda Initiatives, through which he has worked to ensure the safety of the LGBTI community, reduce stigma, assist LGBTI Ugandans under arrest, and educate about HIV.  Uganda’s LGBTI community has been under escalating public, political, and physical attack in recent years, culminating in the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

“This has been a very, very difficult decision for me,” said Wambere in a statement to the media. “I have devoted my life to working for LGBTI people in Uganda, and it gives me great pain not to be with my community, allies, and friends while they are under increasing attack. But in my heart, I know it is my only option, and that I would be of no use to my community in jail.”

More Information:

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding In re WambereRead more of John’s story

Часто задаваемые вопросы

Ugandan Paper Discloses Names and Photos of LGBTI Community Members

Timeline of Anti-Gay Activity in Uganda

Прочитать полное заявление GLAD

How can I help LGBTI people in Uganda?

The Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Rights, a coalition of Ugandan organizations dedicated to fighting this act, recently published guidelines for international partners on how best to support the work in Uganda. We encourage you to support the work of the Coalition, as well as other Uganda human rights coalitions and organizations, such as Spectrum Uganda Initiatives и Sexual Minorities Uganda

 

Новости

A broad swath of marriage equality supporters weighed in with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit yesterday, filing amicus briefs in Китчен против Герберта и Bishop v. Smith, the Utah and Oklahoma marriages cases respectively.

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders’ Civil Rights Project Director Mary L. Bonauto coordinated the amicus effort, involving attorneys and interested organizations representing religious leaders, child welfare organizations, business leaders, health care professionals, experts in family law, constitutional law and relationship recognition, and military leaders and service members. The amici urge the Court of Appeals to uphold the Utah and Oklahoma District Court rulings finding that the bans on marriage for same-sex couples violate the United States Constitution

“I am honored to assist my legal colleagues so that same-sex couples have the freedom to marry the person they love no matter where they live,” said Bonauto, who litigated the groundbreaking Goodridge marriage equality case in Massachusetts (2003), and who filed the first multi-plaintiff challenges against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 2009 and 2010.  “These briefs came together in a short period of time with a lot of help from many people, and provide overwhelming evidence that the government gains nothing legitimate, and only does harm, in depriving loving, committed couples the ability to secure a government marriage license.”

Китчен против Герберта

Update October 6, 2014: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decision striking down Utah’s marriage ban for same-sex couples, thereby permitting that decision to stand, as well as a similar decision from Oklahoma. The Court also denied review of decisions by the Fourth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, which had struck down marriage bans in Virginia, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

By denying review of the Китчен против Герберта case, the Court let stand the June 2014 decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that found Utah’s ban on marriages by same-sex couples unconstitutional. The decision means that same-sex couples in Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming—all in the Tenth Circuit—have a constitutionally protected right to marry and to have their marriages treated equally. Read the full statement from NCLR and GLAD.

Update September 4, 2014: Three diverse voices – those of business, states, and family and equality groups – filed друзья суда briefs in the Китчен против Герберта case. The briefs argue that the high court should take a case or cases in order to resolve the harm and discrimination imposed by marriage bans. The briefs can be read in the list at right.

Update August 28, 2014: —Today, the three couples challenging the State of Utah’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples asked the United States Supreme Court to accept the request of Utah state officials to review the case. In the brief today, the plaintiffs argue that Supreme Court review is required because same-sex couples in Utah and across the country urgently need to have the security of marriage wherever they work or travel to fully protect themselves and their families. The brief argues that only a Supreme Court decision affirming their right to marry and to have their marriages respected nationwide can resolve this fundamental inequality. Читать далее.

РАДОСТНЫЙ has joined colleagues at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) and Utah attorney Peggy Tomsic as counsel in this historic federal case representing same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry in Utah. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled June 25, 2014 that Utah’s ban on the freedom to marry for same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process.

The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review the case.

GLAD previously submitted a brief of amicus curiae in support of the plaintiffs-appellees in the appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The brief was filed on GLAD’s behalf by attorneys from the firm of WilmerHale.

Case Developments Excerpted From NCLR:

On June 25, 2014, the Tenth Circuit ruled that Utah’s ban on the freedom to marry for same-sex couples violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. The decision is the first federal appellate court ruling in a freedom to marry case since the United States Supreme Court ruled in June 2013 that the federal government must recognize the marriages of same-sex couples.

On August 5, 2014, the State of Utah asked the Supreme Court of the United States to review the Tenth Circuit’s decision.  The Tenth Circuit’s decision states that Utah couples will not be able to marry until after the Supreme Court decides whether to review the case.  If the Supreme Court decides to review the case, couples will not be able to marry until after the Supreme Court issues its decision.

For further background visit www.nclrights.org

In addition to NCLR, GLAD and attorney Peggy Tomsic of Magleby & Greenwood, P.C. (Salt Lake City), the plaintiffs are also represented by the D.C. film of Hogan Lovells.

Консидайн против Brookdale Senior Living

In 2014, GLAD represented Kerry Considine in a discrimination suit against her employer, Brookdale Senior Living, after Brookdale denied her the right to put her wife, Renee, onto her employer-provided health plan. Kerry’s claim charged that Brookdale discriminated against her on the basis of her sex, in violation of Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act.

Kerry filed her claim with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and shortly thereafter Brookdale changed its policy and decided to extend health insurance benefits to both same-sex and different-sex spouses.  Subsequently, the EEOC made an initial determination that there was “reasonable cause to believe that the Respondent [Brookdale] has discriminated against the Charging Party [Kerry] on account of her sex.”  Kerry then received a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC.

Following the filing of our complaint in the federal district court in Connecticut, it came to light that Kerry had, as a condition of her employment, signed a mandatory arbitration agreement.  Brookdale moved to compel our case to arbitration, and the US District Court judge agreed, ruling that an arbitrator had to determine whether Kerry’s claims were subject to arbitration.

In arbitration, Kerry argued that her claims for declaratory and injunctive relief should not be in arbitration and should return to federal court based upon an express exclusion in the arbitration agreement.  Brookdale asserted that, at best, the agreement was ambiguous and, therefore, must be interpreted to favor arbitration.  On the merits, Brookdale also argued that Kerry had no current claim because she was now receiving the benefits that previously were denied. The arbitrator has now ruled that Kerry’s claim is subject to arbitration, and that Kerry’s claim on the merits should be dismissed in arbitration because it was not ripe (meaning essentially that she has no current, live controversy with Brookdale because she is receiving the benefits).

We do not believe the arbitrator’s ruling is correct on any point, but the arbitrator’s ruling is final and cannot be appealed.

Новости

Social Security announced earlier this month that it is now processing some widow and widower claims, including Medicare claims, for those married to a spouse of the same sex.  The new guidance applies to surviving spouses if the worker was domiciled in a state that recognizes marriage equality and the marriage took place in the U.S.  Similarly, Social Security is now processing claims for lump sum death benefits if the deceased worker was domiciled in a state that recognizes marriage equality.

If a marriage was entered into in a foreign country, Social Security may process the claim but only after getting a legal opinion on the validity of the marriage.

Social Security is continuing to hold several claims, including applications where:

• The deceased worker was domiciled in a non-marriage recognition state; or
• The marriage does not meet the duration requirement and the claimant alleges a prior non-marital legal same-sex relationship such as a civil union.

Anyone who was or is married to a spouse of the same sex and thinks they may be eligible for Social Security, should apply immediately to preserve their rights to benefits.
The Social Security Administration’s press releases are here:
Same-Sex Marriage – Benefits for Surviving Spouses
Same-Sex Marriage – Lump Sum Death Payment (LSDP)
Social Security also maintains a Часто задаваемые вопросы section on its website.

For information about other federal benefits for married same-sex couples, visit www.gladlaw.org/doma

Новости

Transgender Rights Project Director Jennifer Levi shares an update on some of the critical work GLAD is doing in the area of transgender legal rights:

Family Law

GLAD continues to play a national role in ensuring transgender people receive justice in the family law context. The centerpiece of that work is our groundbreaking book, Семейное право трансгендеров: руководство по эффективной защите интересов, published last year. Attorneys around the country are using the book to better advocate for their clients, and transgender people are using it to better advocate for themselves.

Education in the Courts
Our next step in leveling the playing field for transgender people in family court is getting the book into the hands of more attorneys and judges and educating them about the unique needs and vulnerabilities of transgender people in this context. In September, Polly Crozier, a contributor to Transgender Family Lawand a partner at Kauffman Crozier LLP, organized and moderated a panel focused on transgender family law issues attended by family court judges who hear cases throughout Massachusetts.

All attendees received a copy of the book and heard from legal and medical experts: Elizabeth Monnin-Browder, my Transgender Family Law co-editor and an attorney Ropes & Gray; Connecticut Superior Court Judge Maureen M. Murphy, the presiding judge in Waterbury Family Court; and Dr. Norman Spack, a renowned expert in treating transgender children.

Name-changes for Transgender Children
We’re also continuing critical legal work to change the experience of transgender people in probate courts, specifically around name-changes for transgender children, an issue on which we’ve fielded a number of concerning calls from parents in the past year.

We’ve fielded a number of concerning calls in the past year from parents of transgender youth facing obstacles when trying to change their child’s name. These parents are understandably looking for an immediate solution and we intervene as we can to help them. But GLAD is also on the lookout for cases that can have a precedential impact – that is, cases that create changes in the law from which everyone can benefit.

If you think you or a family member is being discriminated against in the probate system, please contact Радостные ответы.

Transition-related Health Care

The Transgender Rights Project is doing critical work as part of a national movement to remove barriers to transition-related health care for all transgender people. This includes our administrative challenge to Medicare’s ban on transition-related care.

Challenging Medicare’s Ban on Transition-Related Care
GLAD has joined with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the ACLU, and civil rights attorney Mary Lou Boelcke to represent Denee Mallon, a Medicare recipient whose doctors have recommended surgery to treat her severe gender dysphoria. Medicare, the federal program that provides healthcare to Americans 65 or older and younger people with disabilities, prohibits all forms of gender reassignment surgery regardless of an individual patient’s diagnosis or serious medical need. The ban was instituted 30 years ago, when there was little research about the efficacy of gender reassignment surgery. Now that we know these procedures are safe and effective, we have a strong case to make for doing away with this outdated policy.

Advocating for Health Care for Transgender Prisoners
GLAD is also taking on a more active role in the Massachusetts case Косилек против Спенсера, advocating for transgender inmates to receive medically necessary care. We are currently awaiting a decision in the case from the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.

Advocating for incarcerated transgender people to receive medically necessary transition-related care is an important piece of this work both because of the horrific treatment transgender people face in prisons and also because of the broader impact such rulings have on the entire community. Right now, GLAD is awaiting a decision in Косилек против Спенсера from the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. The case involves Michelle Kosilek, a transgender woman who successfully sued the Mass. Department of Corrections for medical treatment of her gender dysphoria in federal district court, a ruling the state has appealed. Michelle’s longtime attorney, Frances S. Cohen, who expertly litigated this case for more than 10 years, recently departed her firm Bingham McCutcheon for a new job, so GLAD is taking a more active role in this case.

Eliminating Barriers in Insurance Coverage
We are making remarkable progress toward eliminating barriers to transition-related healthcare. In April, Vermont’s Division of Insurance issued a bulletin making clear that under state law health insurance companies operating in Vermont must cover treatment related to a person’s gender transition, including coverage for gender reassignment surgery.

This bulletin is a critical victory for the transgender community in Vermont and GLAD was proud to partner with local LGBT and health care advocates to educate insurance commissioners and encourage the Division of Insurance to issue the bulletin. For more information about the bulletin check out this FAQ from our partner RU12 Community Center.

We are now partnering with advocates in Maine and Massachusetts to explore options in those states to ensure fair insurance coverage. Stay tuned for updates in those states.

Новости

INTRODUCING GLAD ANSWERS: OUR UPDATED LEGAL INFORMATION LINE

GLAD today unveiled “GLAD Answers”, an updated version of our venerable Legal InfoLine. GLAD Answers is an information and referral service that GLAD has run since our inception, in recent years receiving more than 2,000 inquiries annually from LGBT people and people living with HIV.

The new features of GLAD Answers are:

• A dedicated URL, www.GLADAnswers.org
• An enhanced live chat function
• A new, direct email address: GLADAnswers@glad.org
• Use of an interpretation service for non-English speakers
• And a snappy new name and logo:
GLAD Answers

GLAD Answers retains its regular phone hours of 1:30-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and its phone number of 1-800-455-GLAD.  The service is staffed by highly trained volunteers who provide callers with legal information and referrals that can help resolve issues ranging from school bullying to employment discrimination.

In addition to empowering those who make use of the service, GLAD Answers enables GLAD to identify new legal issues, patterns of discrimination, and cases to litigate.

“Often, empowered with legal information, people can resolve their situations themselves,” said Bruce Bell, Public Engagement and Information Manager. “For example, we recently heard from a mom in Maine whose son was getting resistance from his school when he tried to start a Gay-Straight Alliance.  We gave her the information and tools she needed to talk with administrators and within two weeks the school approved the GSA.”

“GLAD Answers is my go-to resource whenever I have questions pertaining to the rights of LGBT youth and young adults. I call them directly for help and I also strongly encourage our youth to contact them if they have a question about their rights,” said Jayeson Watts, MSW, Direct Services Coordinator of Youth Pride, Inc., in Rhode Island. “The staff and volunteers are easy to talk to, knowledgeable and committed to helping LGBT people get the fair treatment they deserve. GLAD Answers is an invaluable resource.”

Although GLAD Answers specializes in LGBT/HIV legal information for the six New England states, the service provides help to anyone who contacts it.

Новости

Министерство финансов США и Налоговое управление США (IRS) сегодня объявили, что все однополые пары, состоящие в законном браке, смогут подавать федеральные налоговые декларации как состоящие в браке. Это будет действовать даже в том случае, если пара проживает в штате, который не признаёт их брак, при условии, что они заключили брак в штате, где он признаётся.

«Сегодняшнее решение обеспечивает определённость и чёткие, последовательные инструкции по подаче налоговых деклараций для всех однополых пар, состоящих в законном браке, по всей стране. Оно обеспечивает доступ к льготам, обязанностям и защите в соответствии с федеральным налоговым законодательством, которых заслуживают все американцы», — заявил министр финансов Джек Лью.

Вы можете прочитать полное объявление здесь. Налоговое управление США также опубликовало раздел часто задаваемых вопросов для однополых пар, доступный здесь.

ru_RUРусский
Обзор конфиденциальности

Этот веб-сайт использует файлы cookie, чтобы обеспечить вам наилучший пользовательский опыт. Информация из файлов cookie хранится в вашем браузере и выполняет такие функции, как распознавание вас при повторном посещении нашего веб-сайта, а также помогает нашей команде понять, какие разделы веб-сайта вам наиболее интересны и полезны.