Happy Pride Month!
June is Pride Month, and to celebrate, we wanted to share a timeline of noteworthy LGBTQ legal milestones:
Recognition in Law & Rights
- In 1958, the Supreme Court upheld constitutional protection for pro-homosexual writing in One, Inc. v. Olesen. This was the first Supreme Court ruling on homosexuality.
- In July 1961, Illinois became the first state to decriminalize homosexuality.
- In 1973, Lambda Legal became the first legal organization to fight for the equal rights of gays and lesbians.
- In 1974, Kathy Kozachenko became the first openly LGBT person elected to any public office, becoming a member of the Ann Arbor, Michigan City Council.
- In March 1982, Wisconsin became the first state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, education, credit, and all public accommodations.
- In 2003, the Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas decriminalized same-sex sexual conduct.
Legal Right to Marry & Adoption Rights
- In May 2004, the first legal same-sex marriage in the United States took place in Massachusetts.
- In April 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage cannot be banned by any state in the United States in Obergefell v. Hodges.
- In 2016, a Mississippi law banning adoption by same-sex couples was struck down by a federal law, thus protecting same-sex couples’ right to adopt, either married or individually.
Notable People in Public Service & Rights Today
- In November 2016, Kate Brown became the highest-ranking LGBTQ person elected to office in the United States. She served as governor of Oregon.
- In November 2017, Danica Roem became the first openly transgender candidate elected to a state legislature in history, in the Virginia House of Delegates.
- In June 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that federal law protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination.
- In February 2021, Pete Buttigieg became the first openly gay Cabinet member to be confirmed by the Senate.
- As of 2022, about 4.2% of attorneys at law firms identify as LGBTQ, compared to 2.1% in 2012. The number is higher for law firm summer associates, at 9.4%.
LGBTQ+ Friendly Family Lawyers in Fairfax VA
From all our staff at Cooper Ginsberg Gray, we hope that everyone has a safe and happy Pride Month! We are proud to be an LGBTQ+ friendly family law firm near Fairfax VA. We offer consultations on pre-nuptial agreements, adoption orders, post-nuptial agreements, separation agreements, collaborative divorce, divorce mediation, and litigation. Contact us for an initial consultation.