It's been another great week for LGBT rights. Yesterday, President Obama signed an executive order banning federal contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The order also makes clear that federal employees, who were already explicitly protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, are also protected from gender identity discrimination.

And the good marriage equality decisions continue. On July 18, in a case in which BALIF filed an amicus brief, the Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court's decision striking down Oklahoma's same-sex marriage ban as unconstitutional, marking the second ruling by a federal appellate court in favor of marriage equality in the last year. On July 17, a judge in state court in Monroe County, Florida struck down Florida's ban on same-sex marriage.

If you're thinking about how you can get more involved in the Bay Area's LGBT legal community, consider participating as a mentor or mentee in BALIF's Connections mentorship program. Mentor and mentee pairs are being assigned on a rolling basis, and there will be a happy hour to kickoff this year's program on September 4. Links to more information are below.


Julie Wilensky
BALIF Young Lawyers & Law Students Chair