The legal landscape for LGBTQ+ people is rapidly shifting across the United States, with some welcome and other, not so welcome developments. In 2020, the Supreme Court extended protections from employment discrimination to LGBTQ+ people nationwide, and over the past year the Biden administration has advanced numerous federal policies to support the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, however, states have increasingly enacted legislation targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and undermining protections—particularly for transgender youth. Featuring legal scholars from UCLA’s Williams Institute, the leading research center on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, and the UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy, the panel will provide an overview of the current legal landscape for the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and will assess what may be on the horizon. The discussion will also cover the potential impact that the anticipated reversal of Roe v. Wade will have on LGBTQ+ rights.
Moderator
Colin Vandell, Partner, Venable LLP
Panelists
Christy Mallory, Legal Director, Williams Institute
Luis Vasquez, Scholar of Law, Williams Institute
Cathren Cohen, Scholar of Law and Policy, Sexual and Reproductive Rights, UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy
The Williams Institute
A UCLA think tank, the Williams Institute is the leading research center on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy. The Institute works to ensure that facts—not stereotypes—inform laws, policies, and judicial decisions that affect the LGBTQ + community and is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy. By disseminating its research to policymakers, judges, the media, and other stakeholders, the Institute works to ensure that decisions impacting the lives of millions of LGBTQ + people and families are based on data and facts.
UCLA Law Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy
An innovative new center committed to training the reproductive law and policy leaders of tomorrow, while empowering the advocates and scholars of today. By creating a trusted hub on the West Coast for local and national convenings, the Center engages academics, community members, and practitioners to reimagine the landscape of reproductive health, law, and policy.