LGBTQ+ Rights

On January 18, 1984, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments in State of New York v. Robert Uplinger and Susan Butler, a case that would have a momentous impact on LGBTQ+ rights in the State of New York. The origins of the case date back to 1981 in Buffalo, hometown to HeinOnline. Keep reading to explore one of the most important, and lesser known, events in LGBTQ+ legal history: the arrest and trials of Bob Uplinger.

The legal right to marry is something that heterosexual couples may take for granted, but for the LGBTQ+ community, the fight for same-sex marriages to be legalized and federally recognized took decades of activism, protest, and court cases.

From laws preventing mentions of gender identity or sexual orientation in classrooms, to proposals to ban gender-affirming care for youth, to even prohibiting drag shows, there are new laws cropping up designed to restrict rights for transgender people across the country. Historically, LGBTQ+ members of American society have been marginalized, and transgender individuals have faced decades of discrimination. Particularly in the past few months, several states have passed laws designed to limit transgender expression, much to the frustration of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.

We are pleased to announce that we have added a brand-new subcollection of content from the Williams Institute to the LGBTQ+ Rights database, part of HeinOnline’s perpetually free Social Justice Suite. With this new addition, users can access more than 330 titles from UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, the leading research center on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.

Gender dysphoria is defined as the clinical distress that a person may experience due to the difference between their gender identity and their biological sex. Based on a recent ruling in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, this condition is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),[1] which is a major win for both the LGBTQ and disability communities. Let’s dive into this case, Williams v. Kincaid,[2] and its implications with the help of HeinOnline.

In honor of International Pride Day, we’re proud to present the LGBTQ+ Rights database, the newest addition to the perpetually free Social Justice Suite. This collection consists of materials relating to the gay rights movement in America from 1950 until present day, including an interactive timeline, as well as subject-coded court cases, scholarly articles, books, pamphlets, reports, and more.