Recently in LGBT Category

Source: UCLA Law Review, Volume 57 no. 5, June 2010

Articles include:
Introduction to the Symposium Issue - Sexuality and Gender Law: The Difference a Field Makes
by Nan D. Hunter
See also: abstract

Elusive Coalitions: Reconsidering the Politics of Gender and Sexuality
by Kathryn Abrams
See also: abstract

The Sex Discount
by Kim Shayo Buchanan
See also: abstract

What Feminists Have to Lose in Same-Sex Marriage Litigation
by Mary Anne Case
See also: abstract

Lawyering for Marriage Equality
by Scott L. Cummings and Douglas NeJaime
See also: abstract

Sexual and Gender Variation in American Public Law: From Malignant to Benign to Productive
by William Eskridge
See also: abstract

Sticky Intuitions and the Future of Sexual Orientation Discrimination
by Suzanne B. Goldberg
See also: abstract

Source: Human Rights Campaign, 2010

The Healthcare Equality Index 2010 rates 178 healthcare facilities on their policies related to LGBT healthcare equality. The release of the report -- featuring 11 top-performing individual facilities and one network -- comes as the U.S. healthcare landscape is poised to change for the better for LGBT patients and their families.
See also:
* Healthcare Equality Index 2010 (PDF)
* HEI 2010 Top Performers
* Press Release: Hospitals Nationwide Poised to Add LGBT-Inclusive Non-Discrimination Policies

Source:MetLife Mature Market Institute and the American Society on Aging, March 2010

From the summary:
- 60% of LGBT Boomers fear being unable to care for themselves as they age; 35% fear becoming dependent on others
- Nearly two-thirds of LGBT Boomers say they have a "chosen family," a group of people they consider family, even though they are not legally or biologically related
- Nearly half of the LGBT Boomers and four in ten Boomers from the general population say they don't expect to retire until age 70 or older
- Men in both the LGBT and general population are nearly as likely as women to be giving care to another adult

Source: Brad Sears, Nan Hunter, Christy Mallory, Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law & Public Policy, 2009

This report addresses whether there has been a widespread and persistent pattern of unconstitutional discrimination by state governments on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

This report is the result of research conducted during 2008 and 2009 by the Williams Institute. In addition, ten different law firms assisted with the project, with offices and attorneys from across the country. Also making contributions were scholars and experts from a number of academic disciplines, including history, political science, economics, sociology, and demography. The research resulted in a set of reports on employment law and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity for each of the fifty states, which are included as Appendices to this report. Based on these fifty state reports, plus additional studies conducted by the William Institute, literature reviews, and research projects conducted by the firms, we drafted and reviewed the following papers, presented here as a series of chapters summarizing the research findings. Based on this analysis, we conclude that:

- There is a widespread and persistent pattern of unconstitutional discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity against state government employees;

- There is no meaningful difference in the pattern and scope of employment discrimination against LGBT people by state governments compared to the private sector and other public sector employers; and

- The list of documented examples that we have compiled far under-represents the actual prevalence of employment discrimination against LGBT people by state and local governments.

Source: Wendy R. Ginsberg, Congressional Research Service, R41030, January 21, 2010

From the summary:
The federal government provides a variety of benefits to its 8 million employees and annuitants. Among these benefits are health insurance; enhanced dental and vision benefits; survivor benefits; retirement and disability benefits; family, medical, and emergency leave; and reimbursement of relocation costs. Pursuant to Title 5 U.S.C. Chapters 89, 89A, 89B and other statutes, millions of federal employees may extend these benefits to their spouses and children. An estimated 34,000 federal employees are in same-sex relationships, including state-recognized marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships.

Source: Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 1/26/2010

From the summary:
The comprehensive state-by-state report provides a complete summary of all the state legislation introduced and passed in 2009 that affected lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families. The report indicates that despite disappointments in 2009, it was a banner year for positive legislation affecting the LGBT community, with as many positive bills passed this past year as in 2007 and 2008 combined. The report also details expectations for 2010.

Source: Human Rights Campaign Foundation, January 26, 2010

From the summary:
The comprehensive state-by-state report provides a complete summary of all the state legislation introduced and passed in 2009 that affected lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families. The report indicates that despite disappointments in 2009, it was a banner year for positive legislation affecting the LGBT community, with as many positive bills passed this past year as in 2007 and 2008 combined. The report also details expectations for 2010.

Source: NPR, 2010

Stories include:
- Diversity Efforts Uneven In U.S. Companies
- The Promise Of Diversity Is Yet To Be Fulfilled
- Introspection After Allegations Of Discrimination
- In-House Resource Groups Can Help And Harm
- Defining Diversity: Beyond Race And Gender
- Gay In The Office: The Last Frontier Of Workplace Equality
- 'Mad Men' Haven't Changed Much Since The 1960s
- Should 'The Office' Be Used In HR Training?

Source: Kristen Schilt, Matthew Wiswall, The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2008
(subscription required)

From the abstract:
We use the workplace experiences of transgender people - individuals who change their gender typically with hormone therapy and surgery - to provide new insights into the long-standing question of what role gender plays in shaping workplace outcomes. Using an original survey of male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people, we document the earnings and employment experiences of transgender people before and after their gender transitions. We find that while transgender people have the same human capital after their transitions, their workplace experiences often change radically. We estimate that average earnings for female-to-male transgender workers increase slightly following their gender transitions, while average earnings for male-to-female transgender workers fall by nearly 1/3. This finding is consistent with qualitative evidence that for many male-to-female workers, becoming a woman often brings a loss of authority, harassment, and termination, but that for many female-to-male workers, becoming a man often brings an increase in respect and authority. These findings challenge the omitted variables explanations for the gender pay gap and illustrate the often hidden and subtle processes that produce gender inequality in workplace outcomes.

Source: K. D. Hassell, S. G. Brandl, Police Quarterly, Vol. 12, No. 4, 2009
(subscription required)

From the abstract:
Reform efforts in many police departments have diversified the workforce, especially with regard to race, sex, and sexual orientation. Research, however, has demonstrated that the assimilation of these officers has not been problem-free. Using data collected from a large, municipal police department, this article examines the workplace experiences of patrol officers and a potential consequence of those experiences: stress. We find that being female and being a racial/ethnic minority brings with it substantially different experiences on the job compared to male and White officers. Our findings also confirm previous research that workplace climate has an effect on workplace stress.