Anti-LGBT Discrimination

See me.glad.org for the latest on Maine's Anti-discrimination law.

Lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people live, work, and play in every community throughout New England.  We work in factories or at internet start-ups, raise families and build homes, get involved in our neighborhoods and school systems, throw birthday parties for friends, maybe cultivate a spiritual life, try to take a vacation when we can. Some LGBT people play prominent and proud roles in American culture and leadership. To some, it may seem like we've "made it."  

Yet we still face discrimination based who we are and who we love. Fewer than a third of all states have laws protecting people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, and only a handful prohibit discrimination based on a person's gender identity or expression. There are no federal protections for LGBT civil rights.

While New England has been a leader in the journey toward LGBT civil rights -- Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire have statewide laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and many municipalities in Maine prohibit discrimination as well -- having the laws is only half the battle. No legislation ever made discrimination disappear. Even where strong legal protections exist, a lesbian couple may be turned away from renting an apartment, an individual may be fired after coming out on the job, or a family might be told they are ineligible for a family discount at the town pool. GLAD's precedent-setting litigation is where the legal rubber meets the road -- changing laws, changing attitudes, and changing lives.

We know the stories. We hear them from friends, and they are our own. Each personal story of discrimination or unfair treatment has power. Combined with information about the law, our stories can educate our communities and transform them for the better.