LGBTQ+ Legal Rights

LGBT+ Must Have Doccuments

• Revocable Living Trust
• Last Will & Testament
• Healthcare Power of Attorney
• Durable Power of Attorney
• Living Will
• Hospital Visitation Authorization Form – one for your partner and one for your Chosen Family
• Agent for Disposition of Remains
• Pet Care Directive
• Tangible Personal Property Memorandum

What’s the Risk?

While the government does not have power to take away the legitimacy of marriages between two people by appealing Obergefell or Respect for Marriage Act, they can impact the equality originally afforded. Under the guise of religious freedom, conservatives will allow institutions or individuals to “not recognize” gay unions under religious objection. This would include people who work in government who refuse to process paperwork. Under certain circumstances, gay marriages even done before 2024 could no longer bear the doccuments needed for the state to regonize their marriage. This would disqualify gay couples from the rights afforded to them.

Supreme Court Cases

US. V. Skrmetti

In a Nutshell: ACLU and Lambda Legal are challenging TN’s ban on health care for trans youth and that families and health care professionals should be the one making health care decisions, not policitians.

Status: As of 8/17/25 The supreme court upheld the TN law as it finds it does not discriminate on the basis of sex of trans status. Ew.
Now What? While it’s not a good sign, it currently isn’t an immediate risk to other states…yet. This will still be a state by state fight and require everyone to come together against these attacks on the community.

Kennedy v. Braidwood

In a Nutshell: This case argued that health care plans shouldn’t be required to cover recommended preventative services such as HIV prevsion with no cost to the patient under the Affordable Care Act…you know…providing health care.

Status: The supreme court thankfully upheld this decision. This protects all sorts of essential healthcare like cancer screens and heart disease treatment. Now What? In what logical world does preventative provider recommended proceedures not count as a covered service? This administration is not logical, it’s profit driven. We must continue to be vigilant and not give in anything when it comes to our right to be alive.

Mahmoud v. Taylor

In a Nutshell: The supreme court was asked whether having LGBTQ+ themed storybooks in public school curriculum should be legal if parents are not able to opt their children out for religious freedoms.

Status: Of course they said it was a first ammedment violation…
Now What? This is only going to provide more opportunities for book banning, LGBTQ+ exclusion and censorship. Today it is the queer community but who knows what ideas will be put up on the chopping block next.

Chiles v. Salazar

In a Nutshell: Christian therapist Kaley Chiles sues the state of CO for banning conversion therapy for minors in 2022. She says it’s an imposition on their right to pursue a therapy that aligns with their faith teachings. But CO says the ban is reflective of the large amount of scientific evidence that suggests the therapy does more harm than good. This will be an important case because it will demonstrate if US vs. Skrmetti can stand on it’s principles of state’s overrulling individual medical decisions, or if this is all a ploy to endorse radical right wing evangelical beliefs.

Status: As of 10/9/25 the court is hearing arguments for this
Now What? Wait

Fighting Legislation Strategy

• Show up in force: Outnumber anti-LGBTQ voices at every single committee hearing.
• Block harmful legislation: Fight to defeat every anti-LGBTQ bill introduced.
• Minimize harm: Narrow the impacts of any bad bills that do pass, and prepare the groundwork for challenges in the legal system and the court of public opinion.
• Work with and create strong coalitions across city and state.
• Share strategies and resources with other organizations.

Sources

• GayLawyer
• Transgender people over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime
• Measuring Intersex Populations
• Eliminate Eliminationism from the Trans Question
• Protecting democracy requires protecting trans and nonbinary people
• 106 Things You Can Do To Bring About The Queer Revolution
• On Conversion Therapy
• LAAD Social Media Safety Index
• Can a state legally ban LGBTQ+ “conversion” therapy?
• Underthedesknews