LGBTQIA+ Equality

No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love. Since our founding, the ACLU of North Carolina has a long and proud history of fighting for equal rights for LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) and gender-nonconforming North Carolinians and their families.

Through litigation, lobbying, public education, and organizing, we work to build a North Carolina where LGBTQIA+ and gender-nonconforming people can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association. The ACLU-NC works to protect LGBTQIA+ people from discrimination in employment, education, housing, public accommodations, government services, and other areas of life.

During the 1970s, the ACLU-NC worked to dismantle North Carolina's sodomy laws, which allowed police to arrest LGBTQIA+ adults for engaging in private, consensual sexual behavior. In 2013 and 2014, the ACLU-NC represented nine families in the first two legal challenges to North Carolina's ban on marriage for same-sex couples, ultimately helping to win marriage equality in North Carolina. In 2016, the ACLU-NC filed a federal court challenge to House Bill 2, North Carolina's notorious transgender discrimination law, just days after it was passed.

In the last few years, the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights has become even more critical. Transgender North Carolinians face unwavering opposition to their basic rights, such as access to public spaces and vital gender-affirming healthcare. Legislators have introduced bills that range from banning gender-affirming care to forcing teachers to disclose students' identities to their parents and prohibiting drag performances in public.

In the face of these challenges, the ACLU has been an unwavering force, tirelessly testifying against these measures, fighting to delay their implementation, and amplifying the stories of LGBTQIA+ individuals and their allies. We stand together in our commitment to uphold justice, foster equality, and protect the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Each year during Pride Month, we come together to celebrate and proudly acknowledge the courage, strength, and influence of the LGBTQIA+ community. In the face of persistent assaults on LGBTQIA+ rights, the significance of pride is now more important than ever. In North Carolina, Pride celebrations take place across the state throughout the summer and fall. The ACLU-NC attends as many of these events as possible, distributing information on our organization's work supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.

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