LGBTQ+ Rights

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people have been a touchstone of the ACLU of Connecticut's legal and legislative work. In 2008, we joined the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders to win the fight to legalize same-sex marriage in our state. In 2011, we helped win passage of a gender identity law that makes it illegal to discriminate against transgender people in employment, housing, public education, accommodations and commercial transactions. In 2016, we successfully pushed for a law to prevent discrimination in our state military departments, such as the National Guard, against people on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender. And in 2017, we helped to pass a law to protect LGBTQ youth from harmful conversion "therapy." 

We envision a world in which all LGBTQ+ people can live openly, freely, and fully. We seek to defend trans children's rights in schools and sports, to advance access to gender-affirming care, to protect LGBTQ+ people in and from the criminal legal system, and to create a world where LGBTQ+ people can live authentically without discrimination, harassment, or violence.