Many low-income lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) face special challenges because of discrimination and bias. LSNYC fights landlords who refuse to rent to transgender clients; employers who fire workers because they are gay; service providers who tell same-sex partners they are not welcome; and welfare offices, government officials, courts, and non-profits who discourage LGBTQ/PLWHA clients from receiving services and treat them as second-class citizens. LSNYC provides representation and advocacy to achieve justice for these individuals and others. Low-income LGBTQ/PLWHA clients also face the same legal issues as other low-income New Yorkers, and need a safe and respectful place to get help. LSNYC provides zealous advocates who understand the needs of LGBTQ/PLWHA clients.
RESOURCES
Health Care for Transgender New Yorkers: Will Medicaid Paid for Gender-Affirming Procedures? (PDF)
Know Your Rights: Gender Recognition Act Factsheet, 2021 (English, Español)
Know Your Rights: Gender Recognition Act FAQs, 2021 (English, Español)
LSNYC's LGBTQ/HIV advocacy includes:
- Advice and direct legal representation to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in a wide range of civil practice areas, including public benefits, discrimination, confidentiality, housing, advance directives, family law, future custody planning, and access to medical care.
- Our citywide Health Care Legal Partnership with Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. Since 2011, LSNYC advocates provided on-site legal intake and representation in areas such as housing, disability, discrimination, and public assistance and have trained Callen-Lorde staff on legal issues affecting LGBTQ clients.
- Litigation to advance the rights of LGBTQ New Yorkers, including groundbreaking challenges against the City of New York for violating the rights of transgender clients of HRA.
- Policy advocacy work to improve and expand access to benefits through the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA); reduce discrimination; ensure access to medically appropriate housing; protect client rights in supportive housing placements; and fight source of income discrimination that regularly prevents PLWHA from obtaining housing.
- Addressing legal barriers facing populations that are heavily affected by HIV/AIDS by, for example, combatting discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and advocating for governmental recognition of name changes and accurate gender markers.
- Our Queens-based LGBT Advocacy Project, founded in 2011, provides direct legal services, advocacy, and grassroots legal rights clinics for low-income LGBTQ Queens residents with partners like Queens Pride House.
- Monthly legal clinics assisting low-income transgender New Yorkers at The LGBT Center.
- A bi-monthly LGBTQ Task Force, co-founded by LSNYC in 2013, provides an opportunity for lawyers and advocates serving low-income LGBTQ New Yorkers to strategize and collaborate. This task force grew out of a coalition of advocates organized to address transgender discrimination at HRA and other governmental agencies.
- Collaborations with advocacy organizations including Sylvia Rivera Law Project and Lambda Legal.
- LSNYC advocates developed comprehensive fact sheets for low-income people on marriage equality and information for transgender people on how to change their names and gender markers at HRA and the Social Security Administration.
Our Legal Assistance Hotline is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 4pm. Call 917-661-4500 to speak to an intake officer in any language.