LGBT Bar NY Podcast

SCOTUS Grants LGBT Employment Discrimination Cases

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will review three cases that could have a massive impact on the rights and lives of LGBT people in the workplace. Specifically, the Court will decide whether the ban on employment discrimination “because of sex” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 can be interpreted to apply to claims of discrimination because of sexual orientation.

Eric Lesh discusses this breaking news with NY Law School Professor Art Lenard.

 

 

One LGBT SCOTUS Caes Down, More Pile Up

LeGaL Executive Director Eric Lesh speaks with New York Law School Professor Art Leonard about SCOTUS’s decision NOT to hear the Aloha Bed and Breakfast case involving a small B & B that received a public accommodations smackdown from Hawaii. Next, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5^th Circuit ruled by a vote of 2-1 that the state of Texas did not violate the 8^th Amendment right against cruel or unusual punishment by denying gender confirmation surgery to transgender inmate. Finally, religious objectors rushing to federal court to block the EECC’s ability to come after employers when the fire LGBT people.

 Prof Leonard is chief editor of LeGaL’s LGBT Law Notes the most comprehensive monthly publication covering the latest LGBT legal developments here and abroad.  

Sentenced to Death Because He's Gay?

On this episode LeGaL Executive Director Eric Lesh speaks with Lambda Legal Senior Attorney Ethan Rice. At issue is a brief that Lambda Legal, the ACLU, and ACLU South Dakota filed with the Supreme Court in the case of Rhines v. Young. The brief argues that anti-gay juror bias in-part motivated the South Dakota jury’s decision to sentence Charles Rhines to death. We also chat about the experiences of LGBT people in the court system.

Here Comes the Ban

On the Law Notes episode of the LeGaL LGBT Podcast, we discuss:

• The latest legal developments on Trump's hateful transgender military ban;
• A federal court blocks discharges of healthy airmen living with HIV; and
• A U.S. district court that finds a child born in Canada through gestational surrogacy to a same-sex couple is entitled to U.S. citizenship at birth.

LeGaL Executive Director Eric Lesh and New York Law School Professor Art Leonard discuss.

 

Conversion Therapy in the Courts & More

On the Law Notes episode of the LeGaL LGBT Podcast we discuss the transgender military ban action after the SCOTUS decision to reverse the stays on the preliminary injunctions. Next, we talk about the desire by anti-LGBT litigation groups to permit the torture of queer people by attacking several recent laws banning conversion therapy—including one right here in NYC. Finally, we discuss the latest Title VII action—including a bad circuit court ruling, and two positive district court rulings on employment discrimination cases.

With us is NYLS Prof. Art Leonard, chief editor of LeGaL’s LGBT Law Notes, the most comprehensive monthly publication covering the latest LGBT legal developments here and abroad.  

Weaponizing the Web: Queer People in the Age of Grindr and Cyberharassment

We call this episode of the LeGaL LGBT Podcast "Weaponizing the Web: Queer People in the Age of Grindr and the Cyberharassment."

LeGaL Executive Director Eric Lesh talks with Professor Ari Ezra Waldman talk about queer people and issues related to online privacy and security, including revenge porn and how the law can address the issue of non-consensual sharing of images over online dating apps. We also about LGBTQ youth and bullying and whether current laws to protect youth are effective.

Ari Ezra Waldman is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Innovation Center for Law and Technology at NYLS. He is the Founder and Director of the Institute for CyberSafety, which includes the first-of-its-kind law school pro bono clinic representing victims of online harassment.

SCOTUS Rules on Trump's Trans Military Ban

On January 22nd, by a 5–4 vote, the Supreme Court lifted two injunctions blocking Trump’s hateful and discriminatory ban on transgender military service.

This is not the end. It’s only the beginning. Nevertheless this was devastating news.

The disgraceful actions of this president and his administration, aided by his two illegitimate appointments to the Supreme Court, dishonor the brave transgender troops who courageously serve, and wish to serve, their country.

We stand with you.

We have the latest with New York Law School Prof Art Leonard.

 

The Battle to Block the Ban

Welcome to the Law Notes episode of the LeGaL LGBT Podcast. I’m Eric Lesh, Executive Director of LeGaL, the LGBT Bar of NY.

On today’s show we are going to be talking about the latest Supreme Court developments. We discuss the attempt by the administration to let the transgender military ban go into effect, and a new sexual orientation  discrimination case under Title IX.

Next we will talk about the ruling from a reliably rightwing activist judge from Texas who held that Obamacare was unconstitutional, placing health insurance for thousands of LGBT people at risk.

Finally, we will discuss a case brought by a student against his high school for intentional infliction of emotional distress for anti-gay animus and subjecting him to conversion therapy.  

With us is Professor Art Leonard, chief editor of LeGaL’s LGBT Law Notes, the most comprehensive monthly publication covering the latest LGBT legal developments here and abroad.  

Trump's Trans Military Ban to SCOTUS?

On today’s show we are going to be talking about the Trump Administration’s desperate attempt to implement its hateful transgender military ban by jumping the line straight to the Supreme Court. Next, we will talk about another cert petition. This time it’s ADF’s challenge to a PA School District’s policy allowing transgender students to use restroom and locker room facilities consistent with their gender identity. Finally, we will discuss a state court ruling that chips away at the holding in Obergefell and their own state constitutional law by denying a lesbian mother’s co-parenting and visitation access to her child.

With us is NYLS Prof Art Leonard chief editor of LeGaL’s LGBT Law Notes the most comprehensive monthly publication covering the latest LGBT legal developments here and abroad.  

Domestic HIV Law and Policy Talk for #WorldAidsDay

December 1st is World AIDS Day. On this episode of the LeGaL LGBT Podcast, Eric Lesh speaks with Lambda Legal's HIV Project Director Scott Schoettes about the domestic issues of import to people living with HIV.

People living with HIV continue to face discrimination in all areas of life. Lambda Legal won the first HIV discrimination lawsuit in the nation, and since then Scott and his team have helped maintain or expand protections across the country for people living with HIV. We discuss law, policy, stigma, criminalization, access to care, the Trump administration and more!