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抵抗簡報:本週為正義而戰

Choosing Uncommon Courage

部落客 里卡多·馬丁內斯 (他/他),執行董事

The Resistance Brief: Choosing Uncommon Courage  

The current administration’s intimidation campaign is in full effect. We are witnessing attacks on academic freedom, corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, state and local governments, courts and judges, and now lawyers and law firms.

This is a comprehensive strategy to neutralize legal opposition, obliterate the separation of government powers, and block any pushback from institutions with broad influence and the power to act as arbiters of justice. It is a deeply disturbing pattern that demands loyalty along partisan lines above all else.

Unfortunately, we have seen some of the very entities that should be working to uphold and fortify the rule of law – including a handful of major law firms – bend a knee to these tyrannical abuses of power instead.

As an organization committed to using the tools of the law to uphold human rights and dignity, watching powerful law firms commit millions of dollars in pro bono work to the Trump administration to avoid sanctions has been especially disheartening and alarming. We cannot allow the legal profession’s independence to be compromised, or we risk undermining the very mechanisms that guard against autocracy.

Such anticipatory obedience may be an attempt to emerge unscathed from a period of political turmoil – but the decision to roll over and submit is anchored in fear and delusion. As we’ve seen time and again from this administration, the goalposts are in a constant state of flux. And as history clearly shows us, the more these firms acquiesce to bullying and unconstitutional tactics now, the more will be demanded of them to stay in the regime’s “good graces” in the future.

Caving to power should not be the accepted standard – especially when there are other options.

While some firms have made a “business decision” to cave to the demands of this administration for self-preservation – and ignored the historical consequences of this approach – others are resisting. 威爾默海爾 和 詹納和布洛克Williams & ConnollyPerkins Coie, 和 Keker, Van Nest & Peters are just some of the firms that have decided to fight back publicly and disrupt lawless power grabs. Williams & Connolly filed a lawsuit representing Perkins Coie in its challenge to the executive order targeting them, and was granted a temporary restraining order shortly after. And Keker, Van Nest & Peters penned a New York Times op-ed, Our Law Firm Won’t Cave to Trump. Who Will Join Us?

Theirs is not a rhetorical question. We’ve asked the same thing: Who will join us?

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment – where every institution and person in public service should think strategically about the role they will play in protecting our democracy.

Last month, I attended the Pro Bono Conference in Washington, D.C. and had several conversations with pro bono counsel who attended. Many of them confided in me that the Trump administration’s attacks on law firms have caused a chilling effect, and, as a result, their firms are apprehensive about publicly partnering with advocacy organizations. This is some of what we must contend with as we seek justice and work to uphold the rule of law and judicial review. Luckily, there were also organizations present who were boldly stepping up and eager to practice uncommon courage.

Fear is natural, but it cannot be what guides us. I have learned that on the other side of fear is a path forward, towards justice. We must ask ourselves the right questions to think and act courageously, even in the face of peril. If we have limited power now, the right first question might be: How do we build power?

在 last week’s Resistance Brief, I wrote about some of the tangible steps we can take to prevent the proliferation of political violence: staying informed, contacting representatives, supporting local equality organizations, donating often and generously. What I didn’t mention explicitly was that all those suggested actions can foster an environment of agency, empowerment, community, and defiance – which, in turn, can help protect our democracy.

Compounding power by remaining coordinated, building coalitions, and uniting in a shared vision helps interrupt corruption and builds public confidence in our institutions, making us all feel braver. This is why Keker, Van Nest & Peters’s op-ed is a timely example of an effort to unite a profession known for its creativity, moxie, boldness, and independence.

Compounding power also creates layers of resistance, made up of groups and individuals coming together to develop a diverse and well-resourced coalition, ready to collectively challenge threats to our democracy whenever possible. This is the way we rebuild healthy political and societal norms. This is how we forge innovative partnerships that allow us to urgently and aggressively pursue justice for LGBTQ+ people. And GLAD Law is already forging those partnerships with courageous firms like Stapleton Segal Cochran LLC 和 Langer Grogan & Diver P.C., who have stepped up to join us on several of our 6 legal challenges to Trump’s executive orders.

History offers us many examples of times when communities have risen to meet the moment, despite the risk, because the long-term payoff was worth it. We are safeguarding the futures of generations to come – to have a shot at perfecting and living out the promise of freedom our constitution grants us.

Someday, future generations will look to us for guidance. Perhaps the next question to ask ourselves is: how will we define our legacy as ancestors today?

What to do, what else to know: 

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抵抗簡報:本週為正義而戰

Strategies against surveillance

部落客 里卡多·馬丁內斯 (他/他),執行董事

A few weeks back, the Department of Homeland Security eliminated an explicit ban on the surveillance of people based solely on sexual orientation and gender identity via an update to an Office of Intelligence and Analysis policy manual. It happened quietly and was quickly buried under a mounting stack of unconscionable presidential executive actions. But the change evoked a feeling of danger and fear that may be indicative of a broader shift in strategy to intensify political violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

The World Health Organization’s definition of political violence includes the deliberate denial of basic needs (food, health care, education) and human rights (freedom of speech, freedom of association). It’s hard not to brand the attack on our community with political violence when LGBTQ+ people are being removed from government websites and from policies meant to protect us from unlawful surveillance. All while investigations into anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination have all but stopped, nondiscrimination protections in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities are under attack, LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers are being deported without due process, and threats to HIV funding are looming.

The removal of sexual orientation and gender identity from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis policy manual was a rollback of the Biden administration’s efforts to implement the 2020 博斯托克訴克萊頓縣 decision, which sought to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While this inclusive manual’s language was only four years old, it provided a layer of protection that could prevent some of the unlawful surveillance LGBTQ+ people – disproportionately queer and trans people of color – have experienced throughout history.

This surveillance of queer people has taken many forms: the Lavender Scare in the ‘50s when federal employees were identified and removed from government service because of peddled disinformation that they posed a national security threat; the FBI investigation of one of the first queer rights organizations, the Mattachine Society, because of alleged communist ties; the police raids of gay bars that eventually led to the Stonewall riots; FBI surveillance of ACT UP and the Center for Constitutional Rights in the ‘90s; surveilling and purging gay servicemembers and then the intermediate Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. More recent examples include federal law enforcement surveillance of Black Lives Matter protestors, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton trying to obtain data on the number of Texans who had updated their gender marker on their driver’s licenses, and the US Department of Agriculture asking for the names of LGBTQ+ employee resource group leaders.

During my time in Texas, I became keyed into these types of attacks. It conditioned me to try to recognize patterns in government actions, policy-making, bill filings, and language used by anti-equality lawmakers. What I noticed was that their actions were attempts to create building blocks meant to stretch the permissible parameters of cruelty. Apathy paved the way for going further while community action and resistance moderated and delayed the execution of their anti-LGBTQ+ playbook. Resistance can topple their plans built upon a flimsy scaffolding of bias and fear. Together, we have the power to undermine these plans.

GLAD Law will continue to do our part with our surge-litigation strategy that aggressively pursues justice through swift, strategic action to use all aspects of the law to stop, delay, and reduce the harm of the Trump administration’s unconstitutional actions. Of the six challenges we have filed to date, five have succeeded with temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions blocking harmful policies, while one is pending.

To guard against further attacks on LGBTQ+ people, we must all be ready. We know there are proven tactics that can help prevent the proliferation of political violence. So this week, let’s focus on the actions that combat political violence: public condemnation of attacks on our community, building bridges where we can, empowering local communities, early warning and preparing not panicking.

What to do:

  • Review Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Surveillance Self-Defense Guide.
  • Identify 1-2 trusted news sources: It is so easy to go down a rabbit hole of bad news. Pick your trusted sources and monitor your information intake.
  • Add your lawmakers’ office number to your phone: Make sure you use it to remind them to speak out and publicly condemn anti-LGBTQ+ attacks and voice your concerns about unlawful surveillance.
  • Attend town halls and school board meetings: Building resilient communities starts with local participation, public comment, and accountability.
  • Adopt a statewide equality group or local LGBTQ+ center: Early warning mitigates the impact of political violence efforts. Sign up for updates to receive action alerts.
  • Be ready to mobilize: There will be moments that call for large protests and direct action. You can help most by participating directly. But if that is not an option, you can also support that work by volunteering as a legal observer, helping with planning, or delivering essentials like food, water, and first aid supplies.

You can also help GLAD Law continue to act swiftly and decisively to secure even more legal victories:

  • Commit Pro-Bono Hours: If you or your firm want to make a commitment to help address the coordinated assault we are under, please email us to pledge pro-bono commitments.
  • Join GLAD Law’s 律師轉介服務Assist LGBTQ+ community members in need of answers to legal questions.
  • Donate Generously: Become a monthly donor to ensure steady, dependable support. Interested in anchoring an upcoming fundraising campaign to secure funding for our rapid response visionary leadership? Reach out to us!

What else to know: 

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訊息

Federal Court Rejects Another Trump Administration Attempt to Implement the Transgender Military Ban and Reinstates Nationwide Preliminary Injunction

Lead attorneys for the plaintiffs say military families face a “crushing amount of pressure” and that the motion to dissolve was “nothing more than a disingenuous, last-ditch tactic to sow confusion and cause delay”

U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes today rejected a Trump administration motion to dissolve the 全國初步禁令 issued in 塔爾博特訴川普案. Judge Reyes issued the injunction on March 18 in a forceful order in which she held that the ban undermines national security and is likely unconstitutional, calling it “soaked with animus and dripping with pretext.” Defendants filed the motion to dissolve on March 21.

In her opinion today, Judge Reyes denied Defendants’ motion, holding that “Defendants cannot evade discriminating against transgender people simply by labeling the policy as addressing gender dysphoria.” Judge Reyes also denied Defendants’ request that she stay her preliminary injunction while the case proceeds.  

As a result of today’s decision, Judge Reyes’ order blocking the government from enforcing the ban will take effect at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 28. That injunction halts implementation of the ban and protects transgender servicemembers and recruits from its significant harms while the future of the ban is being decided in court. These harms include servicemembers being removed from deployments, denied commissions and promotions, placed on administrative leave, denied medically needed care, and ultimately being placed in involuntary separation proceedings, a process used to address instances of misconduct.

首席律師 塔爾博特訴川普案, GLAD Law 跨性別者和酷兒權利高級總監 珍妮佛·萊維NCLR法律總監 香農·明特, respond to Judge Reyes’ ruling:

“These efforts to stall the preliminary injunction from going into effect to protect our transgender troops burden military families with a crushing amount of pressure as they navigate a limbo with outcomes that will cause devastating harms to the military careers of these incredible soldiers,” said GLAD Law 跨性別者和酷兒權利資深總監 Jennifer Levi. “It is unthinkable that we would treat this way the brave individuals who sacrifice so much for our country.”

“This motion was nothing more than a last-ditch tactic to sow confusion and cause delay. There is no way to defend a policy that seeks to recklessly discard thousands of highly trained, skilled, and decorated transgender servicemembers, many of whom have deployed to critical locations across the globe. The government has conceded it has no evidence to support its position and no reason to discharge individuals who are serving capably and honorably,” said NCLR法律總監Shannon Minter.

塔爾博特訴川普案 was the first legal challenge filed against President Trump’s recent transgender military ban executive order. The case is on behalf of 32 plaintiffs and was brought by LGBTQ+ legal groups GLAD Law and NCLR with pro bono legal counsel from Wardenski P.C. and Kropf Moseley PLCC.

GLAD Law’s Jennifer Levi and NCLR’s Shannon Minter, the 本案首席律師,本身也是跨性別者,並且各自擁有超過三十年處理具有里程碑意義和關鍵意義的LGBTQ+案件的訴訟經驗。 2017年,萊維和明特共同領導了一場反對美國跨性別者參軍禁令的法律鬥爭。 多伊訴川普案 和 斯托克曼訴川普案該公司還獲得了全國範圍內的初步禁令,以阻止該禁令的實施。

詳細了解 塔爾博特訴川普案.

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抵抗簡報:本週為正義而戰

Faith, justice, and persistence

部落客 里卡多·馬丁內斯 (他/他),執行董事

The Resistance Brief: Faith, Justice, and Persistence  

We are living through a time of escalating discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and violence. Our inability to provide immediate relief to so much suffering keeps us up at night. I know it weighs heavy on my spirit.  

For me, those feelings are wrapped up in my Catholic upbringing. My relationship status with my faith remains “it’s complicated,” but there is an inextricable connection that binds my advocacy to the lessons I learned attending church as a child alongside my mother and grandmother. They taught me my highest purpose is to do the greatest good for people without compromising myself or my values.

Recently, I’ve prayed for collective decency, kindness, and mercy. And for the safety and well-being of all people. While systems of oppression are not new, and the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is ongoing, the current callous attacks on our community and disregard for our humanity (sometimes in the name of faith) feel unholy.  

One of my favorite passages has always been, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it for me.” I always loved that lesson, which uplifts the innate dignity we all possess. It is a lesson that calls us to reflect on how we treat those with the least power: marginalized communities, people experiencing homelessness, and people who are sick or imprisoned. How we treat “the least of these” defines who we are and is a measure of the strength of our democracy. 

The current landscape and its many horrors are aimed at creating insufferable conditions and coercing us to abandon those within our community who need us the most.  

But I’m reminded of another lesson I learned in the church pew as a child: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” The test we face is our ability to show up for each other. 

Whether it’s immigrants being detained, deported, and disappeared with no due process, unaccompanied LGBTQ+ minors surrendering themselves at the border, trans women being brutalized by police, cutting off funding for humanitarian aid and HIV prevention, or transgender inmates experiencing unspeakable abuse in prisons – the realities of the toll this moment is having may consume and overwhelm us.  

But it’s important to understand that we feel this way by design. The current federal administration is conducting a stress test on just how much indignation towards marginalized communities we will tolerate. But one thing I know about the queer community is that we are relentless in our pursuit of justice and equality. Regardless of how tired we are, of how scared we may be, we show up for those in need. 

I’m really proud of the path GLAD Law has taken to provide relief and support to those who need us the most at this time. 

Shortly after the inauguration, GLAD Law took immediate action challenging Trump’s Day One anti-transgender executive order. As a result of that order, the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) began placing transgender women in solitary confinement, at imminent risk of being moved to men’s facilities and losing their necessary medical care. 

Transgender women face incredibly high rates of harassment and assault, including sexual assault, when housed with men, and withdrawal of medical care causes devastating health impacts. GLAD Law acted quickly, filing three cases, 莫伊訴川普案, 多伊訴邦迪案, 和 瓊斯訴邦迪案, securing rulings for our clients to remain in women’s facilities and ensuring their continued medical care. We’ve continued to add plaintiffs to our cases as we hear from more transgender women at risk, and this week, the federal judge granted an order directing BOP to return two women from men’s facilities where they’d been transferred. 

Many stories underscoring the direct harm of this administration’s actions have come to our attention through GLAD 法律問答, our free, confidential legal infoline that provides people  with information, referrals, and, if possible, pro bono legal assistance. Over the last three months, our GLAD Law Answers line has received 827 new intakes, compared to 322 intakes by this time last year. The requests for support include questions from incarcerated individuals, people experiencing challenges accessing medical care, servicemembers impacted by the trans military ban, and people experiencing employment discrimination, bullying at school, harassment, and violence. 

I know it feels like fights that were settled and secure are being fought again. It’s not fair that our community is in the crosshairs once more and being scapegoated for political gains. And while we can and should be frustrated that we’re fighting the same, tired playbook, that also means GLAD Law has the blueprint to fight back. Our cases against BOP show how the law and the courts can play their rightful role in stopping unthinkable harm. The Reagan-appointed federal judge saw how Trump’s BOP policy violates the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act and the 8th Amendment, acted quickly, and to date, BOP has complied with those orders. 

That blueprint to get us out of this moment includes showing up for community – all of it. And when I need some reassurance, I call in my mom’s prayer circle, who have been praying every Tuesday and Thursday for a just and merciful outcome. 

What to do, what else to know: 

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抵抗簡報:本週為正義而戰

Dropping the ball

部落客 里卡多·馬丁內斯 (他/他),執行董事

I was in Palm Springs last week when I started hearing about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s podcast and his comments on how he believed that transgender girls and women participating in sports is “deeply unfair.”

I had heard about the launch of his podcast and was excited about the premise: having honest, nuanced, and curious conversations about issues people feel strongly about.

But what transpired did not seem curious, nuanced, or honest – it felt like a political calculation at the expense of a small, vulnerable community who are already under significant threat.

I’ve spent a large part of my career working with lawmakers – educating them on issues that impact our community, answering tough questions, and sharing constituent stories that illustrate how policy and laws affect real lives. I’ve been in rooms where lawmakers have told me that they can’t support specific LGBTQ+ issues because polling is not on their side. And I’ve been in meetings with lawmakers who express empathy and understanding but, when it comes time to cast their vote, have been unwilling to show uncommon political courage.

I’m no longer surprised by politicians who determine their support based on political calculations. But what I struggle to understand about Governor Newsom’s comments is the answer to the questions why now, and why with a right-wing media personality like Charlie Kirk?

Here was an opportunity for conversation. Rather than cowering to pressure or prioritizing politics over principles, I thought – as I know many others did – that Governor Newsom would lead a nuanced discussion. He didn’t. Instead, he disregarded constituents he once celebrated and to whose struggle for recognition and survival he once drew awareness – noting the importance of protecting transgender people because they deserved no less.

I’m most flabbergasted by the timing. The Governor’s remarks seem especially reckless, given the relentless attacks transgender Americans are currently under – attacks that go far beyond sports and are driven in no small part by anti-LGBTQ influencers like Kirk.

There is room to have conversations about people’s genuine concerns and questions about fairness and safety in girls’ and women’s sports. GLAD Law and others in our movement and community have been engaging in those conversations, with the public and with policymakers, to understand why people feel conflicted, and to propose workable policies that ensure fairness and opportunity for all girls, including transgender girls.

This approach is reminiscent of what worked nearly 15 years ago when I worked with GLSEN. I often heard stories from our chapter network about administrators, parents, and coaches coming together to figure out how all students could experience the joy of physical education, sports, and play in an environment where they feel safe, valued, and included.

Yes, these conversations were happening in 2010, and schools were figuring it out on their own. That’s what our public schools and educators do on a whole range of issues, because of their deep commitment to making sure every student is supported and has an opportunity to learn. It wasn’t until anti-equality lawmakers began pushing “bathroom bill” copycat legislation and spreading disinformation about trans folks to create fear and manufacture outrage that schools became epicenters for conflict rather than collaborative solutions.

If Governor Newsom was reaching for dialogue and collaboration with the premiere of his podcast, he fell far short of that mark. At a time when LGBTQ+ people are facing a full-scale attack – from being banished from federal websites, to having our lives and families deleted from school libraries and classrooms, to encountering threats to essential healthcare, to being branded dishonest, lacking in integrity, and unfit to serve in the military, to having our basic right to exist and function in society questioned – our community needs and deserves better than fair-weather allies.

需要了解什麼,需要做什麼: 

閱讀更多《抵抗簡報》.

訊息

跨性別軍事禁令律師和原告 塔爾博特訴川普案 對昨天的禁令聽證會的反應

GLAD Law 表示:“政府沒有提供任何證據證明從全球重要職位上撤走合格人員是合理的。”

華盛頓特區——美國地方法院法官安娜·雷耶斯昨天聽了 塔爾博特訴川普案 決定是否發布初步禁令,以阻止川普總統行政命令中規定的跨性別者入伍禁令的實施。預計她將在3月25日之前就此動議做出決定。

這 塔爾博特 該案有 20 名原告,他們因禁令而遭受重大傷害,包括暫停部署、強制行政休假、延遲或拒絕基本醫療,以及其他重大傷害,包括最終導致他們的軍事生涯結束,透過行政分離(一種用於處理不當行為的程序)被解僱。 

GLAD Law 的 Jennifer Levi 和 NCLR 的 Shannon Minter, 這 本案首席律師,本身也是跨性別者,並且各自擁有超過三十年處理具有里程碑意義和關鍵意義的LGBTQ+案件的訴訟經驗。 2017年,萊維和明特共同領導了一場反對美國跨性別者參軍禁令的法律鬥爭。 多伊訴川普案 和 斯托克曼訴川普案該公司獲得了全國範圍內的初步禁令,阻止了該禁令的實施。

首席律師 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 以及 原告艾莉卡·範達爾少校 和 尼古拉斯·塔爾博特少尉,回應昨天的聽證會:

“政府沒有提供任何證據證明從全球重要崗位撤走合格人員是合理的,” GLAD Law 跨性別者和酷兒權利資深總監 Jennifer Levi我們看到,儘管原告符合所有標準,卻突然被取消了現役作戰部署、專業訓練行動和關鍵領導職務。這些軍人以及其他許多人的職業生涯現在被暫停,這給我們的軍隊帶來了危險的漏洞,並威脅到國家安全。美國公眾應該對一個為了加強對跨性別者的敵意而犧牲軍事準備的政府深感不安。我們仍然希望法院能夠迅速採取行動,阻止這種毫無意義的損害。

他說:“我希望今天每個美國人都能出庭親耳聆聽政府承認他們沒有任何證據證明這項禁令是合理的。” NCLR法律總監Shannon Minter「這些軍人面臨如此境地,不僅失去了工作,還失去了對軍隊和國家終身的承諾——而且政府又如此積極地推進這項禁令——他們所遭受的傷害以及正在持續遭受的傷害令人深感不安。我再怎麼強調這些人及其家人目前所承受的傷害的嚴重性以及巨大壓力都不為過。」

「我在美國陸軍服役近14年,成績斐然。在我之前,我父親也服役了40年。我在軍事基地長大。軍隊過去是,現在仍然是我的全部。” 艾莉卡·萬達爾少校。 「我還有一個不可思議的家庭。我已婚並有兩個孩子,他們對我和我的軍旅生涯的支持,讓我為國家做出了巨大的犧牲。我很感激生命中擁有他們並給予他們支持,就像我知道很多軍人對自己家人的支持一樣。與他們談論正在發生的事情很困難。很難完全理解禁令的全部禁令。部範圍和影響。

「從我祖母在俄亥俄州里斯本的家庭農場長大,到我攻讀犯罪學研究生學位,我一直專注於一件事:訓練、學習,並實現我的目標,成為一名軍人,」他說。 尼古拉斯·塔爾博特少尉「我現在是美國陸軍預備役軍警部隊的排長,最重要的是,我只想繼續做好這份我有資格、受過訓練、並承諾要為國家效力的工作。強制遣散敬業、合格的軍人,拆散他們的職業生涯,以及對那些為國家做出巨大犧牲的家人的不尊重,這與我們軍隊的地位,無視而使這些政策對家庭做出巨大犧牲和努力的成就,這與我們軍隊的成就、支持而受苦。

詳細了解 塔爾博特訴川普案.

前100天社區簡報

前100天社區簡報

As the Trump administration’s second term reached its first 100 days, GLAD Law held a live community briefing to share updates on the urgent legal challenges we’ve brought to stop, delay, and reduce harm from the administration’s relentless attacks on LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable communities.

Our Executive Director Ricardo Martinez and members of our legal team – Chris Erchull, Jennifer Levi, and Polly Crozier – discussed the lawsuits we’ve filed so far, five of which have already succeeded in blocking harmful policies, as well as the broader legal and political landscape we’re facing. The briefing also included key takeaways and ways each of us can take action to protect ourselves and support the fight for LGBTQ+ justice.

If you missed the event or want to revisit the conversation, add your email to watch the full recording.

Let’s keep moving forward—together.

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部落格

抵抗簡報:本週為正義而戰

Protecting a dream

部落客 里卡多·馬丁內斯 (他/他),執行董事

If I’m being completely honest, I’d like to get married. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be turning 43. I’m the last of my siblings to get hitched and one of the last of my college friend group to have that experience.  

I’ve imagined my mom walking me down the aisle. I want my best friend and fiercest straight ally to be my best man. And, if I’m able, I want to eventually provide a loving home to children who need one or explore assisted reproduction to become a father. 

This dream, only fully available to me in the last ten years thanks to the long-term work of GLAD Law and other advocates, is one that I don’t usually share with many people. I’m grown enough to remember when marriage wasn’t an option for me, so I’ve always tempered my expectations. And while I shouldn’t have to, the reality is that there are times when that dream feels more fragile and less like a sure thing.  

Marriage equality, and thus my dream, should absolutely be safe and secure. It is protected nationwide by sturdy Supreme Court precedent and federal law, as well as by state law and state constitutional guarantees in several states. It also has strong public support because people across all walks of life understand how marriage and family life can be the grounding center of our lives, provide supports that create stability, and give us a sense of community and collective belonging. 

But as symbolic resolutions are introduced in state legislatures, asking the Supreme Court to overturn 奧貝格費爾, I can’t help but feel uneasy. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. Many people have expressed worry about what could happen in the future and asked for suggestions on how to protect their relationships. These worries are coming from many quarters – young people with LGBTQ+ parents, siblings, grandparents, other family members, and friends, and of course LGBTQ+ people themselves – because marriage equality touches and benefits entire communities across the country. 

Let me be crystal clear: No state can take your marriage away. These resolutions, should they pass, will not invalidate anyone’s current marriage or prevent same-sex couples from marrying in any state. Any effort to unravel the freedom to marry would be long and difficult. GLAD Law and our partners are committed day in and day out to defend that freedom. 

These brazen antics signal an attempt to pick a fight. Stunts happen in politics, and the media amplifies them, causing sensory overload. But the silver lining of these resolutions is that they remind people about something that deeply matters: families.  

Families are precious, whatever their makeup, and attempts to undermine them ignite our instinct to protect them. And we should – LGBTQ+ families are part of every community. In the end, many members of our community (but certainly not all) are getting married and raising kids, and LGBTQ+ families have hopes, dreams, successes, and struggles like any other. Threats to disrupt families are bad for everyone.  

While I work on creating my family and living out my dream, I feel honored to be able to help protect those families that have already been forged – including my kid brothers’. Six years ago, he got married to a wonderful man in Mystic, Connecticut. Being granted the opportunity to be part of the organization that helped pave that path for him makes me feel like I’ve come full circle in some way – and it also deepens my sense of responsibility.  

As we see so many things shaken up, it is hard not to worry about attempts to shake up marriage equality – symbolic or otherwise. But I know GLAD Law is preparing every day for any possibility. We will be there, with our allies, to defend against any attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality decision and to protect the dreams of so many like me. 

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部落格

抵抗簡報:本週為正義而戰

Turning fear into action

部落客 里卡多·馬丁內斯 (他/他),執行董事

Do you remember the energy back in 2017? The outrage, the immediate backlash, the knit pink hats, celebrities being vocally unafraid? The mass mobilizations everywhere ignited hope and kept folks from creeping into despair. That fever pitch of civic engagement peaked with the emergence of the national #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements.

On a local level, in Texas, I recall a similar moment of collective outrage that felt like an awakening when Governor Greg Abbott directed the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents of trans kids. People uniformly felt their moral Spidey-Senses signaling the premonition of an impending threat and, as such, an urgency in action.

Once again, after the initial shock of this administration’s “flood the zone” with cruelty strategy, people are regaining their footing and finding their voice. I see glimpses of collective outrage and action, and I see it across issues, perhaps ushering in a collective cross-movement resistance. People are strategically agitating, thinking of workarounds to the mess created by DOGE and responding to this administration’s affront to American values of freedom, privacy, respect, and community.

  • Communities are leading Know Your Rights trainings on how to claim your rights if faced with ICE agents;
  • Consumers are engaging in boycotts to confront the staggering influence of billionaires on our lives and political system;
  • Outraged Americans are organizing protests in cities across the United States, showing up at town halls, and making calls to their federal and state senators and representatives;
  • Doctors are sharing vital information about infectious diseases on social media;
  • Organizations like GLAD Law are surging litigation efforts to stop, delay, and minimize the impact of these attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and our democracy.

At a time when the federal government is testing how much brutality Americans will tolerate against vulnerable people, this is the moment for action. It is the time to embrace our grief and fear, access our courage, and decide what our contributions to the resistance will be. 

There is a lot at stake. 

The Trump administration wants us to be numb to the complete expulsion of all transgender people from military service, shutting down global funding of HIV treatment access, the demonizing of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the exploitation of our children’s health and wellbeing. So many things that should be absolutely safe and secure feel like they’re being shaken up, including marriage equality, which has been undeniably good for kids, families, and society.

The last six weeks have left no doubt that there is a broad plan at work to deny LGBTQ+ people, BIPOC, and all women their fundamental rights and to test and erode democratic institutions. We cannot forget our moral strength and obligation to recognize and resist authoritarianism in all its forms.

We cannot tell ourselves that attacks on the rights or freedoms of others don’t touch us directly – because distance from brutality offers no protection from its reach.

GLAD Law will continue to show up to work every day to protect those rights and freedoms. Thank you for being part of this resistance with us.​​​​​

需要了解什麼,需要做什麼: 

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訊息

On the Pentagon’s Complete Ban on Transgender Military Service

Last night, in keeping with President Trump’s January 27 Executive Order, the Pentagon released a policy that is a complete ban on transgender military service, forcing out current service members and banning transgender people from enlisting. 

The scope and severity of the ban are unprecedented. This is a complete purge of all transgender individuals from military service.

“This is a purge of unprecedented magnitude. There is nothing confusing or complicated about it. The military has 30 days to identify anyone it thinks is transgender, and the only way to avoid discharge is to prove you are not transgender. This is an unconscionable ban that forces the removal of talented service members who put their lives on the line for our nation and slams the door on qualified patriots who meet every standard and want nothing more than to serve their country.”

—Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender & Queer Rights

We are challenging this ban for the thousands of transgender service members and enlistees who meet and exceed the same rigorous military standards as others, and who put their lives on the line to serve their country.

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