[This American civil rights organization focuses on LGBTQ rights, as well as the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.]
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[What is Lambda Legal? Or: The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund]
Due to the strong prejudice against gay people at the time, Lambda Legal became its own first client. Founder Bill Thom filed an application for nonprofit organization in early 1972, but was turned down. With pro bono help, Thom appealed to New York's highest court and was granted permission to form the nonprofit organization in 1973. The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (better known as Lambda Legal) was officially formed, with a mission to achieve "full equality for lesbian and gay people".
Throughout the 1970s, Lambda Legal fought and won some of the nation's first cases on behalf of lesbian and gay parents and same-sex couples. In 1983, Lambda Legal won the nation’s first HIV/AIDS discrimination case. They continued as forerunners for LGBTQ rights throughout the 90s and early 00s, standing up against workplace discrimination, addressing bullying in schools and the rights of gay-straight alliances, and working to establish clear laws surrounding hate crimes.
Use your library card to search the Gainesville Sun or New York Times archives for articles featuring Lambda Legal's activism, or find out more about Lambda Legal leaders with our Gale in Context: Biography resource.
Lambda Legal was involved with many of the early civil rights cases concerning same-sex marriage. Click below for titles related to the landmark case U.S. v. Windsor:
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