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麻薩諸塞州眾議院通過《同性戀者與反同性戀者法案》，大力保護跨性別與生殖健康

昨天，麻州眾議院通過了一項法案，旨在加強州政府對生殖健康和跨性別醫療保健的保護。該法案已於6月26日在參議院獲得通過。

該法案以2022年頒布的《2022年醫療盾法案》（2022 Healthcare Shield Act）為基礎，透過禁止州政府機構和執法部門與其他州或聯邦政府合作調查馬薩諸塞州提供的生殖和跨性別醫療服務、限制患者資料共享和第三方獲取醫療記錄，以及禁止對處方藥進行不必要的監控，保障受法律保護的醫療保健服務。該法案還透過加強執照保護和防止保險公司歧視的保護，增強了對提供或協助提供受法律保護的醫療保健服務的人員的保護，並為法院提供瞭如何應對州外限制父母為其子女尋求跨性別醫療保健的法律的指導。

“在跨性別者獲得生殖保健和醫療保健的機會面臨越來越大的威脅之際，這項法案提供了重要的保護。” 說 LGBTQ 法律倡導與辯護人協會家庭倡導部主任 Polly Crozier 表示：「我們感謝州立法者、司法部長和合作夥伴的通力合作，他們迅速在 2022 年《盾牌法案》的基礎上， 加強對患者和醫療服務提供者的保護，並確保馬薩諸塞州的醫療保健政策由科學和人們的醫療需求所驅動，而不是政治。 我們期待繼續支持這項立法努力，並希望該法案能盡快成為法律。」

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**GLAD Law Responds to Braidwood Supreme Court Ruling**

“Today’s decision means access to PrEP is safe — for now,” said GLAD Law’s Bennett Klein

The Supreme Court of the United States today issued its ruling in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc. upholding the authority of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to make recommendation for no-cost insurance coverage for preventive healthcare services — including PrEP, a powerful HIV prevention tool.

GLAD Law submitted a friend of the court brief 在 Braidwood urging the Court to uphold no-cost access to PrEP and other critical preventive health care services. The brief highlights the devastating public health consequences of undermining access to PrEP, a medication that reduces risk of HIV transmission to virtually zero when taken as prescribed. The brief was submitted on behalf of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors and a coalition of health care advocates.

GLAD Law Senior Director of Litigation and HIV Law 貝內特·克萊因 responded to today’s Supreme Court ruling:

“Today, the Supreme Court affirmed a critical component of the Affordable Care Act: access to life-saving preventive health care. The Court upheld the authority of the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force to make recommendations regarding no-cost coverage for preventive healthcare services like cancer and diabetes screenings and HIV prevention such as PrEP, which is nearly 100 percent effective in preventing HIV transmission when taken as directed.

“The ability to rely on medical experts to recommend key preventive health measures is critical to individual and public health in the U.S. Today’s decision means access to PrEP is safe — for now. Ensuring individuals can access PrEP without financial barriers is essential to ending the HIV epidemic, addressing racial disparities in healthcare, and ensuring people have the care they need to live healthy lives and thrive.

“Just last week the FDA approved the game-changing long-acting injectable PrEP medication Lenacapavir. We hope to see the Task Force, and ultimately Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr, approve no-cost insurance coverage of this truly revolutionary method of HIV prevention.

In this political environment, we are deeply concerned, however, that the Court’s Braidwood ruling brings into relief the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ extraordinary power to review and block Task Force recommendations and fire and appoint members at will, which could potentially affect the integrity of future recommendations. In light of Secretary Kennedy’s recent mass firing of an expert vaccine panel and replacement with several vaccine skeptics, we must be vigilant about the politicization of the Task Force going forward. We encourage states to take appropriate action to protect and expand access to PrEP, including the newest six-month injectable, the most effective HIV prevention tool yet to be developed.”

Learn more about the case.

Learn more about GLAD Law’s work to expand and protect access to PrEP.

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GLAD Law Responds to Mahmoud Supreme Court Ruling

“Today, the Court missed an opportunity to ensure all young people are prepared to interact with diverse people and thrive in an ever-changing world,” said GLAD Law’s Mary Bonauto

WASHINGTON, DC—The Supreme Court of the United States today found plaintiff families entitled to a preliminary injunction in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case that will determine whether parents have a First Amendment right to notice and opportunity to opt out of curriculum involving the five books at issue featuring LGBTQ+ people.

GLAD Law submitted a friend of the court brief 在 Mahmoud—together with the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, Family Equality, COLAGE, , Free State Justice, Inc., the Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN，和 the Trevor Project—arguing that part of the role of public schools is preparing students to participate in a pluralistic democracy.

GLAD Law Senior Director of Civil Rights and Legal Strategies 瑪麗·L·博諾托, responded to today’s Supreme Court ruling:

“Today’s ruling does not change schools’ obligation to prepare students to interact with and thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world. Freedom of religion is a value we all share, but today the Court missed an opportunity to ensure all young people are prepared to participate in a pluralistic society. The ‘windows’ and ‘mirrors’ approach to reading curriculum employed by Montgomery County Public Schools and districts across the country allows students to learn about reading and writing while better seeing and understanding themselves and the world around them. LGBTQ+ people and families exist, students in our public schools have LGBTQ+ parents, and books that include LGBTQ+ people should not be treated differently than those without LGBTQ+ people. The Court’s decision does not require our schools to abandon these efforts. Parents, students, educators, and neighbors can encourage opportunities for learning about diverse people and families by staying involved with school districts, school boards, and in our local communities.”

Learn more about the case.

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奧帕爾李，六月節的祖母

部落客里卡多·馬丁內斯, GLAD Law Executive Director (he/him)

In moments of great strife, it is my tendency to go inward. I’m certain it’s a defense mechanism that protects me from anxiety, stress, intellectualizing situations, grieving, and anguish. In the quiet, my solemn contemplation, I seek inspiration to pull me back from challenges, disappointments, and betrayals that the world has thrown at me.

Yesterday, after the heartbreaking Skrmetti 決定 was announced, I needed time to collect my thoughts, pay attention to my body’s response, and dig deep to reassure myself that despite the loss we experienced I don’t “predicate fighting on winning.”

The catalyst that inspired me to pick my head back up this time was Opal Lee. She is known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” She’s a Texan (born in small town Marshal), a retired schoolteacher, a board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), and an organizer.

For decades, she championed establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Back in 2016, at 88 years old, she began an annual 2.5 mile walk to draw more public attention to the cause. The length of the walk symbolizing the two and a half years it took for news of emancipation to reach Texas. Concurrently, she began a petition to showcase the public’s support for the observance of Juneteenth as a holiday. A year later in 2017, Opal walked 1,400 miles to Washington D.C. – delivering 1.5 million signatures to Congress supporting Juneteenth.

Opal has described herself as a ‘little old lady in tennis shoes getting in everybody’s business.’ But the reality is that her efforts and impact are widely felt. Her approach, defined by her patience, creativity, historical perspective and charisma, galvanized Texans. She had a novel idea, committed time, love, and advocated on the principle that America was founded on: Freedom. Her message was simple and effective – taking her all the way to the White House where on June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Her success did not happen overnight.

So how did Opal Lee snap me back from my reflective pondering? I focused on the lessons her story taught me.

A hurtful past can fuel a powerful future: A mob of white supremacists burned her house down on June 19, 1939 when she was 12 years old. Rather than allowing that hurtful experience to be a barrier to advocacy, she instead focused and reclaimed that date to help bring people together to understand the importance of Juneteenth.
Tenacity, persistence, and creativity have the power to create change: While our setbacks are real, they are never the end of the story. We keep moving forward, refining our concrete strategies and developing novel tactics to galvanize people to create meaningful and sustainable change. The tide can and will turn.
We get so much more done together than apart: Opal Lee has always said none of us are free until we are all free. Ms. Lee is not preaching platitudes; she believes this. She understands the power of community. As do we. We are part of a greater whole – and like all our social justice partners, we contribute to the collective in our areas of specialty – converging in strategic ways to protect the best things about this country – including our intersectional multifaceted identities.

Opal Lee’s perseverance, tenacity, and expressions of love reminded me that we have to remain steadfast in our commitment to achieving justice and equality – regardless of the setbacks.

Beyond the lessons her advocacy taught me, there is much to reflect on as we observe Juneteenth today.

On that day when the last enslaved African ancestors were freed, they were promised a broad range of rights (knows as the 12 freedoms). Those freedoms like personal liberty, access to education, right to legal protection, freedom of movement, access to healthcare have not always been upheld for Black Americans and are now similarly being denied to marginalized groups like transgender people.

As we grieve the Skrmetti decision let us also recognize the ongoing inequality that has long existed in this country for Black Americans. Let us also acknowledge that our struggle is inextricably connected. Let us also celebrate resilience, perseverance, past victories, and lessons learned.

The fight is long from over. We are powerful beyond measure. And as Opal would say “everybody has a part to play.”

Learn more about Opal Lee’s legacy in Fort Worth Texas, in this video on her life’s work and the future of The National Juneteenth Museum.

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**GLAD Law and NCLR Respond to the Skrmetti Supreme Court Ruling**

“The Court today failed to do its job. It chose to look away, abandoning both vulnerable children and the parents who love them. No parent should be forced to watch their child suffer while proven medical care sits beyond their reach because of politics.”

WASHINGTON, DC—The Supreme Court of the United States today issued its ruling 在 United States v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for transgender youth.

Today’s decision has no impact in states where health care for transgender youth is not currently banned.

Every major medical association including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association support this care, backed by decades of research and relying upon the same safe and effective medications used to treat a range of other health issues for children and adults. Last month, in the most comprehensive review to date, a new 1,000+ report commissioned by the Utah Legislature found that this care is supported by substantial evidence, is safe and effective, and reduces risk of suicidality.

GLAD Law 跨性別者和酷兒權利高級總監 珍妮佛·萊維 和 National Center for LGBTQ Rights Legal Director 香農·明特, both of whom have more than 30 years each of LGBTQ+ impact litigation experience, including on transgender health care cases, and are themselves transgender, responded to today’s Supreme Court ruling:

“The Court today failed to do its job,” said GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi. “When the political system breaks down and legislatures bow to popular hostility, the judiciary must be the Constitution’s backbone. Instead, it chose to look away, abandoning both vulnerable children and the parents who love them. No parent should be forced to watch their child suffer while proven medical care sits beyond their reach because of politics.”

“The Court’s ruling abandons transgender youth and their families to political attacks. It ignored clear discrimination and disregarded its own legal precedent by letting lawmakers target young people for being transgender,” said National Center for LGBTQ Rights Legal Director Shannon Minter. “Healthcare decisions belong with families, not politicians. This decision will cause real harm.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling sends a dangerous message that even laws causing immediate harm to transgender youth can stay in effect while legal challenges work their way through the courts, often a process that takes months or years. This allows states to enforce discriminatory policies that disrupt lives, restrict medical care, and create fear and instability, even before their constitutionality has been fully decided. As of June 2025, similar laws have passed or been proposed in over 20 states, creating a patchwork of legality that leaves many families uncertain whether their child will be able to receive proper care.

This ruling paves the way for a broader wave of anti-transgender legislation under the Trump administration, bolstered by President Trump’s return to office and multiple executive orders targeting transgender people, including efforts to eliminate federal recognition of gender identity, restrict access to healthcare for transgender people of all ages, and the banning of transgender students from sports and public school inclusion.

Anti-transgender legislation like Tennessee’s law is part of a growing national campaign to strip transgender people of their rights, dignity, and access to lifesaving care. These laws are not based on medical evidence or concern for children, but on fear, misinformation, and a desire to erase trans people from public life. The harm they cause is real, immediate, and profound. At GLAD Law, we are committed to challenging these attacks in the courts, supporting affected families, and working toward a future where all transgender people can live openly, safely, and with full equality.

Make a donation today to support our legal advocacy and ensure every young person can grow up with the freedom to be themselves.

You Can Help Power This Fight

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GLAD Law Condemns Committees of Conference Approval of Legislation Banning Access to Health Care for Transgender Adolescents

Today, Committees of Conference reported a bill to ban access to health care for transgender youth. HB 377 prohibits medical professionals in New Hampshire from providing medically-necessary puberty-blocking medications and hormone replacement therapy for transgender patients under age 18 and denies parents of transgender youth the ability to seek expert medical care for their child.

Chris Erchull, Senior Staff Attorney, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) shared the following response:

“The legislature can still reverse its extreme overreach into the private lives of New Hampshire families by rejecting this bill. Parents and families, not the government, know what’s best for their children. All New Hampshire families must retain the ability to make healthcare decisions for themselves without government interference. This legislation takes that right away from parents, who want nothing more than to care for their child.

“The best way to protect the health and well-being of transgender young people is to ensure that they can continue to access essential, age-appropriate medical care from licensed clinicians practicing according to the well-established medical standards of care. Banning necessary medical care puts young people at increased risk of serious harms, including depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts or behavior. When transgender youth, like all youth, receive the medical care and support they need, they are able to thrive and have healthy, happy childhoods that set them up for success in life.

“Furthermore, this ban punishes medical providers who follow expert medical standards of care for transgender patients—standards that are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and every other leading U.S. medical professional association.

“It can be hard to understand what it’s like to have a transgender child. The parents of transgender adolescents need information and advice from professionals they trust, but this bill would cut off access to that guidance, leaving families without hope for supporting their children as they suffer.

“This effort to prevent young people from receiving necessary health care is just the latest in a years-long campaign by extremist politicians to roll back rights and protections for transgender Granite Staters, especially transgender youth, and to insert government between them and their families. GLAD Law will continue to work with our allies and use every legal tool at our disposal to ensure that all New Hampshire residents—including transgender Granite Staters—can live authentically and without needless government intrusion.”

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緬因州立法機構否決針對跨性別學生運動員的法案

奧古斯塔—— 緬因州立法機構週一否決了八項針對跨性別學生運動員、跨性別群體和《緬因州人權法案》的法案。一個廣泛的聯盟組織起來回應，其中包括平等組織、醫療保健提供者、法律倡導團體以及不同年齡和背景的普通緬因州居民。

「數千名緬因州民眾來到州議會大廈，致電並發送電子郵件給立法者，堅決反對針對我們社區的八項法案，」緬因平等組織執行董事吉婭·德魯表示。 “我們感謝緬因州立法機構的議員們傾聽我們的心聲，並幫助我們否決了這些有害的法案。我們的社區堅韌不拔，我們希望緬因州的每一位跨性別者都知道，他們是被愛的，他們並不孤單，我們將與他們站在一起。”

立法機關審議並否決了八項法案：

LD 233，一項禁止生理男性在學校獲得國家資助的情況下參加專為女性設計的學校體育項目和活動的法案；
LD 868《確保小學、中學和高等學校的體育設施、衛生間、更衣室和住房的公平和安全的法案》；
LD 1002，一項保護兒童身分的法案，要求公立學校使用兒童出生證明上指定的姓名和性別；
LD 1134《禁止男性參加女性運動或使用女性設施的法案》；
LD 1704，一項禁止學校行政單位採取允許學生使用指定異性衛生間的政策的法案。
LD 1337, 一項關於修改緬因州人權法案中有關女運動員和女性單性別庇護所安全條款的法案；
LD 1432、《從緬因州人權法案中取消性別認同考慮的法案》；以及
LD 380《關於修訂性別肯定醫療保健服務相關法律的法案》

“緬因州選民 20 年前就明確表示，因跨性別者身份而歧視他人是錯誤的，緬因州法院於 2014 年裁定學校必須平等對待跨性別學生，包括允許他們使用學校衛生間或更衣室”，GLBTQ 法律倡導者和捍衛者 (GLAD Law) 民權和法律戰略高級主管 Mary Bonauto 表示。

「我們要明確一點——這些法案直接攻擊了我們的權利、尊嚴和生命，」緬因州交通網絡（MaineTransNet）聯合主任布雷·丹弗斯·基德曼（Bre Danvers Kidman）說道。「我們的社區奮起反抗，與全州的盟友並肩作戰，最終阻止了這些法案的通過。跨性別者的存在不應被用作政治挑釁的議題。我們的公民權利不容置疑。我們不會袖手旁觀。我們知道自己是誰，我們知道自己應得的，我們將永不停止為在這個州的每個角落安全、自由、被關注地而奮鬥。」

今年5月，超過900名緬因州民眾在一場公開聽證會上作證，反對剝奪跨性別學生獲得醫療保健和禁止他們參加學校運動的權利。這場聽證會吸引了來自緬因州各階層的廣泛參與——家長、教育工作者、同學、現任和前任運動員、宗教領袖等等——他們齊心協力，捍衛尊嚴、公平和包容。他們的證詞體現了一個明確的共識：這些攻擊行為不符合緬因州的價值觀，也不符合我們的法律。

緬因州婦女遊說團執行董事德斯蒂·霍曼·斯普拉格表示：“跨性別學生運動員正成為世界上一些最富有、最有權勢的男性的攻擊目標。我們感謝立法機構中我們的盟友為維護正義所做的巨大努力，也感謝跨性別群體成員講述自己的故事，揭露這些可怕法案可能造成的危害。”

「每位學生都應該受到善待和尊重，他們應該能夠無所畏懼地上學和參與體育運動。這些法案不僅會傷害跨性別女孩，還會傷害所有人，並迫使所有緬因州女孩遭受侵犯個人隱私的侵入性程序，」OUT Maine 執行董事 Sue Campbell 表示。

該聯盟始終團結一致，隨時準備應對緬因州未來平等與人權面臨的威脅。隨著削弱保護措施或針對弱勢群體的行動在全國各地不斷浮現，全州的倡導者、組織和社區成員已做好準備，捍衛緬因州的同情心、勇氣和人性的價值觀。

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跨性別軍人被告知必須在今天之前決定如何被軍隊清除：「自願」還是非自願

“There is nothing voluntary about forced separation,” says GLAD Law’s Jennifer Levi

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed transgender servicemembers to self-identify for separation by today, June 6—July 7 for reservists—or face “involuntary separation.” GLAD Law 和 NCLR report that transgender servicemembers are struggling with an impossible choice. Many say that “voluntary” separation is misleading. Yet they fear the unknown consequences of the involuntary separation process for themselves and their families. Former military leaders have also spoken out, calling the rushed nature of this ban “alarming” and noting that “military policy changes typically involve months of careful planning and timelines that account for the complexity of the military personnel system.”

GLAD Law 跨性別者和酷兒權利高級總監 珍妮佛·萊維 和 NCLR法律總監 香農·明特, the lead attorneys in 塔爾博特訴美國案 （以前 塔爾博特訴川普案), are transgender themselves and each have more than three decades of experience litigating landmark LGBTQ+ cases. Together, Levi and Minter also led the 2017 legal fight against the transgender military ban in 多伊訴川普案 和 斯托克曼訴川普案, which secured a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the ban. Levi and Minter responded to today’s deadline:

“There’s nothing voluntary about forced separation,” said GLAD Law 跨性別者和酷兒權利資深總監 Jennifer Levi. “Honorable and committed transgender servicemembers are being coerced into choreographing their own dismissal under a presidential edict that maligns their character with falsehoods, characterizations the government itself admitted in court are untrue. These are decorated veterans who served for decades and forcing them out simply for being transgender is a shameful betrayal of American values.”

“The military has invested millions of dollars in training thousands of transgender servicemembers, such as 塔爾博特 plaintiff Major Erica Vandal, who was born into a military family on a base overseas, graduated from West Point, served with distinction for 14 years, deployed to Afghanistan, and has been awarded a Bronze Star,” said NCLR法律總監Shannon Minter. “Major Vandal and others are now being forced out through a humiliating process typically reserved for misconduct that will leave a stain on their records. This mistreatment of servicemembers who have put their lives on the line for our country is needlessly cruel and a shocking betrayal of our commitment to all those who serve.”

塔爾博特訴美國案, and a second legal challenge to the ban, Shilling v. USA, are continuing through the courts. 塔爾博特訴美國案 is awaiting the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decision on the government’s motion for emergency stay. The recent Supreme Court order in Shilling does not apply to 塔爾博特.

塔爾博特訴美國案 （以前 塔爾博特訴川普案), the first legal challenge filed against President Trump’s transgender military ban executive order, is on behalf of 32 plaintiffs and brought by LGBTQ+ legal groups GLAD Law 和 NCLR with pro bono legal counsel from Wardenski P.C., Kropf Moseley PLCC, and Zalkind, Duncan + Bernstein.

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There is No Legal Basis for Threats to Providers of Transgender Youth Care

Statement from Jennifer Levi, GLAD Law Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights, in response to the FBI’s tweet about investigating health care providers of transgender youth:

There are no federal laws that support threats to providers of health care for transgender adolescents. This is part of an ongoing effort to intimidate doctors who are providing essential medical care. As a comprehensive, systematic review recently commissioned by the Utah legislature concluded, a strong body of medical evidence supports the safety and efficacy of this care. These efforts make it more difficult for parents to secure the health care their children need to thrive.

Read the FBI’s tweet about investigating providers.

Learn about the Utah legislature’s report.

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佛蒙特州新推出的確認收養法增強了 LGBTQ+ 家庭的安全

Vermont continues to lead on ensuring LGBTQ+ people and families are protected and treated equally with passage of a new law making it easier for parents who have had a child through assisted reproduction to confirm their parentage through adoption.

Yesterday, Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed into law An act relating to confirmatory adoptions. (H.98) Championed by state Reps. Martin LaLonde and Barbara Rachelson, the legislation makes the adoption process more efficient for parents seeking an adoption decree to confirm an existing parent-child relationship by removing cumbersome and costly barriers that non-genetic parents face when adopting their own children. Confirmation of an existing parent-child relationship through judgments like adoption decrees is vitally important to protect families formed through assisted reproduction, including LGBTQ+ families. The new law takes effect July 1.

“I’m proud to see this bill signed into law. This is what we should be prioritizing as legislators: ensuring that all Vermont families — no matter how they’re formed — are legally protected and more secure,” said Rep. Barbara Rachelson, the primary sponsor of H.98. “H.98 streamlines the adoption process for parents who planned for and built their families through assisted reproduction. Now, if an individual who is already considered a parent under Vermont law seeks an adoption decree to confirm their parent-child relationship, they won’t have to undergo an invasive home study, notify gamete donors, or complete a mandatory residency period before receiving an adoption decree.”

“Parents who use assisted reproduction, in Vermont and elsewhere, continue to face the reality that other states may discriminate against them and refuse to recognize their legal status as parents because of a lack of genetic connection — especially if the parents are LGBTQ,” said Rep. Martin LaLonde, who co-sponsored H.98. “Although Vermont recognizes parents who use assisted reproduction with donor gametes as legal parents, other states may not. With an adoption decree, if the family travels or moves to another state, that state must recognize the parents’ legal relationships to their children. Streamlining the adoption process enables families to more easily obtain this important layer of protection.”

Under the new law, parents of children born through assisted reproduction who are parents or presumed parents under the Vermont Parentage Act can petition for an adoption decree by submitting a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate, a signed petition for adoption, a copy of their marriage certificate if applicable, and a signed declaration explaining that the child was born through assisted reproduction, attesting to their consent to assisted reproduction, and stating that there are no other persons with a claim to parentage of the child.

The law was passed as LGBTQ+ families grow more concerned about attacks on LGBTQ+ people at the federal level and in states that are less LGBTQ+-friendly than Vermont.

“This is an important step toward ensuring that LGBTQ+ families in Vermont are able to protect themselves wherever they may travel. With extremists escalating their attacks on LGBTQ+ people across the country, parents are justifiably seeking paths to secure their legal parent-child relationship, including through adoption decrees, which are easily recognizable and must receive respect in all jurisdictions,” said Polly Crozier, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders Director of Family Advocacy. “Vermont joins nine other states with confirmatory adoption laws, and we expect others will follow their lead. We’re thankful to Representatives Rachelson and LaLonde for championing this bill and to Governor Scott for signing it into law.”

“This common-sense legislation is vital for LGBTQ+ families, and all families using assisted reproduction in Vermont, especially in the current political and social climate. It gives increased legal security to children born through assisted reproduction in an efficient and validating manner,” said Meg York, Senior Policy Counsel and Director of LGBTQ+ Family Law and Policy at Family Equality. “Parents seeking to protect their children in this way will no longer endure an onerous, lengthy, and expensive adoption process, making it accessible to more families. Thank you to Representatives Rachelson and LaLonde, and all of our allies and partners in Vermont for their leadership on H.98.”

“As a family law attorney specializing in the legalities of adoption and assisted reproduction, I’m profoundly pleased H.98 was signed into law. Even before the start of the second Trump administration, we heard from many LGBTQ+ families interested in confirmatory adoption for greater legal security,” said Kurt Hughes, Senior Partner at Tarnelli & Hughes Family Law. “This law will make a tangible difference for families across Vermont. Families are formed in many different ways and our laws must continue to reflect that reality. Thank you to Governor Scott, the Legislature, and Representatives Rachelson and LaLonde for upholding Vermont’s commitment to fairness and equality for all.”