Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) is New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.

Description:
Founded in 1978, GLAD provided litigation, advocacy, and educational work in all areas of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights and the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. GLAD has a full-time legal staff and network of cooperating attorneys throughout New England. GLAD litigates impact cases which can extend the civil rights protections of the LGBT and HIV communities. GLAD advocates for legislative changes that will advance civil rights protections. Through the volunteer staffed Legal InfoLine, GLAD provides information and resources to people seeking help on issues regarding their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status and helps to educate the public about the positive legal precedents GLAD has won in the courts.

History:
Founded in 1978, GLAD has won a number of important victories for the LGBT and HIV communities including: the right of high school senior Aaron Fricke to attend the prom with his boyfriend (1980), wins an honorable discharge for a gay US service member (1986), defeats attempts to overturn the MA gay & lesbian civil rights act (1989), wins a second parent adoption case (1993), appears in US Supreme Court arguing the people with HIV are protected from discrimination (1998), wins Vermont ruling that same-sex couples entitled to same rights (1999), wins marriage for same-sex couples in MA (2003) and in CT (2008).

Contact person: Bruce Bell, Legal InfoLine Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (617) 426-3594

Address:

30 Winter Street, Suite 800 Boston, MA 02108 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.glad.org

Directions:

Take the red line or orange line to the Downtown Crossing T stop.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Downtown Crossing,   Walk distance (in minutes): 2 For maps or information, please see http://www.mbta.com

Last updated on September 10, 2009