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Lambda Legal

The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund—known as Lambda Legal—is the oldest and largest legal organization in the United States that seeks to achieve equality for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, trans people, and everyone living with HIV. It does this through impact litigation (pursuing cases that could establish important precedents), education, and public policy work. Lambda Legal has more than 100 staff in six offices around the country—New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. In support of trans people, the organization has taken on and won cases that address the legal recognition of trans people, the conditions for trans prisoners, and anti-trans discrimination in employment, education, housing, and health care.

Origins

Lambda Legal was incorporated in 1973 in New York City by lawyer William Thom, who recognized the need for a nonprofit legal organization that fought for the civil rights of lesbian and gay people, similar to how groups existed to further the equality of women and people of color. In fact, Thom modeled the organization after the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, copying their papers of incorporation verbatim, except changing references from “Puerto Rican” to “lesbians and gay men.” Lambda Legal’s first client was itself; a New York court turned down Thom’s application for incorporation in 1971 on the grounds that he had not demonstrated that the organization would be for the public good. The decision was overturned on appeal by the highest court in New York State in 1973, allowing Thom to officially start the organization.

Trans-Related Legal Work

Trans people suffer persistent inequalities in all aspects of life. They experience rampant workplace, school, and housing discrimination; face difficulties in obtaining appropriate name and gender designations on their identity documents; and lack access to quality health care and to transition-related medical services, including in prisons. These disparities are exacerbated for trans people of color because they experience discrimination based on gender identity, race, and potentially other characteristics. Lambda Legal has been involved in cases in all of these areas.

Employment

Employment is one of the most legally challenging and personally difficult areas for trans people. They are often passed over in the hiring process, and if they are able to find employment, they frequently experience privacy violations, harassment, and even physical and sexual violence on the job. One of Lambda Legal’s cases challenging discrimination against trans people in the workplace resulted in a landmark decision in Glenn v. Brumby (2011). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that a government worker who fires a trans employee because of their gender nonconformity violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment by engaging in sex-based discrimination.

Education

Trans students frequently feel unsafe and experience discrimination at school both from other students and from teachers and administrators. In 2016, Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of three trans students against a suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, school district that required students to use the restroom that corresponded to their sex assigned at birth. The organization won a preliminary injunction that halted the policy and then reached a settlement, which required the district to allow students to use the restrooms that reflect their gender identity (Evancho v. Pine-Richland School District, 2017). Lambda Legal won a similar case against a suburban Jacksonville, Florida, school district in 2018 (Adams v. School Board of St. Johns County, Florida), which has been appealed by the district.

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