LeGaL LGBT Podcast

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, Matt Skinner, Executive Director of the Failla LGBTQ+ Commission of the NYS Courts, Kristen Browde, matrimonial law attorney and nationally recognized trans activist, and Professor Emeritus Arthur Leonard of New York Law School summarize and discuss the December 4, 2024 oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court case of U.S. v. Skrmetti.    To listen to the complete oral arguments / read the transcripts, visit https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2024/23-477

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the November 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the impact of Brexit on obtaining affirming identification, the future of surrogacy in Italy, and the future of DEI programs in the workplace. 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the October 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including bans against so-called conversion therapy for minors, employee speech, and the access to medically necessary healthcare for incarcerated people.  

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the August/September 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including access to medically necessary healthcare for transgender youth, recent updates to interpretation of Title IX, and the latest news as to the application of 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis across the wedding industry.  

Shain Filcher, Esq. (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY sits down with Deborah Lolai, Esq. (she/her), Clinical Instructor at Harvard Law School's LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia School of Social Work to discuss Deborah's near decade of experience as a Public Defender and Founding Director of the LGBTQ Defense Project at The Bronx Defenders, the challenges LGBTQ+ people face at all stages of prosecution within the criminal legal system, career changes, and how academia can serve to enhance social justice movements.

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the June/July 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the conclusion to the October 2023 Supreme Court term, insurance coverage for PrEP, and a hard fought victory in Missouri.  

Shain Filcher, Esq. (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY is joined by Make the Road New York's Mateo Guerrero (he/el, they/elles), Trans Justice and Leadership Program Manager and Kendal Nystedt, Esq. (she/ella), Supervising Immigration Attorney to examine the intersection of surveillance, employment protections, sex work, and the immigration legal system. To learn more about current volunteer opportunities with Make the Road New York, visit https://mrny.my.salesforce-sites.com/VolunteerInquiry. To see what you missed at the 12th Annual TransLatinx March, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzDGyVpUOYc.

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Stacy Lentz (she/her) co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, discuss a nonprofit that's committed to preserving the legacy of the Stonewall Inn through creating safer spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. Later in the program, Shain examines LGBT Bar NY's ongoing legacy of service through its weekly-walk in clinic with volunteer attorneys Glen Ahlers, Esq. (he/him) and Madeleine Skaller, Esq.  (she/her). To learn more about SIGBI, visit https://stonewallinitiative.org/. To learn more about LGBT Bar NY's weekly legal clinic, visit https://www.lgbtbarny.org/get-legal-services/legal-clinics. 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the May 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the latest milestones in the fight to obtain affirming healthcare, accurate identification, and access to skating rinks. 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the April 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including Florida's efforts to curtail DEI trainings, the ongoing displacement of Texas families with transgender children, and the latest outcome in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the March 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the fairness of jury selection, the definition of infertility for LGBTQ+ families seeking healthcare coverage, and an important victory for TGNC New Yorkers seeking a court-ordered name change. For more information about LGBTQ+ jury access issues, visit https://lgbtqbar.org/programs/advocacy/jury-access/ 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, sits down with Amy Leipziger (she/her), Director of the Free to Be Youth Project, Majé Zenith Louverture (she/her), light worker, and Morgan Torre (she/they), Community Outreach Associate at the Free to Be Youth Project, to discuss the impact and the anniversary of New York State extending the right to consent to healthcare to minors defined as homeless youth and/or are participating in a RHY program.

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the February 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the increasing likelihood the Supreme Court will be called upon to decide some of the most prominent safety issues impacting LGBTQ+ youth. 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, sits down with Yvonne Martinez (she/her), Deputy Commissioner of Policy, Strategy and Research at the New York State Department of Labor, and Brie Vallese (she/her), Senior Policy Advisor at the New York State Department of Labor, for a behind-the-scenes look at the recent NYS DOL study surveying the employment experiences of TGNCNB people, including never-before-shared stories. To access the study, visit https://nysdolreports.com/gwg/2023-tgncnb/#:~:text=Significant%20Employment%20Barriers%20Exist%20for,than%20non%2DTGNCNB%20New%20Yorkers. 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard (he/him) of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases impacting LGBTQ+ youth from the January 2024 edition of LGBT Law Notes and celebrate the 200th episode of the podcast. 

Shain Filcher (they/he/she), Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, sits down with Janice Grubin (she/her), Partner at Barclay Damon LLP and First Vice President and Judiciary Committee Co-Chair of LGBT Bar NY, to discuss reflections on Janice's trailblazing legal career, the evolution of LGBT Bar NY, and her selection as a 2024 Stonewall Award Recipient. To learn more about the ABA Stonewall Award and Awardees, visit https://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/sexual_orientation/stonewall_award/stonewallawards/ 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the December 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the safety of incarcerated LGBTQ+ people when precluded from suing prison officials and equitable division of assets when pre-marriage equality religious weddings end in post-marriage equality divorce. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the joint October/November 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including a preview of the latest Supreme Court term, an update on restroom access in the Ninth Circuit, and a surrogacy case impacted by the pandemic. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the September 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including a win for transgender athletes in Idaho and a landmark settlement with the Broome County Jail, in Broome County New York. To hear Makyyla speak about what the settlement in her case means both for her and the transgender community at large, visit  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rPepj7XrnE

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, sits down with Leslie Allen, Deputy Director of Legal Services at the Anti-Violence Project, and Audacia Ray, Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy at the Anti-Violence Project, to discuss escalating hate violence against the LGBTQ+ community, a groundbreaking, nationwide study surveying safety in queer spaces, and the loss of O'Shae Sibley. To access the study, visit https://protectsafespaces.org/.

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the August 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including a setback for transgender and nonbinary youth accessing gender affirming healthcare, whether a guidance counselor can be treated as a minister for employment purposes at a Catholic high school, and sports bans in Arizona.

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the July 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including public accommodation law updates, employment discrimination, protections for collegiate athletes being harassed due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation, and a recent win to protect access to gender affirming healthcare for minors.

In response to 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, the LGBT Bar NY is hosting a special episode to examine the initial impact of the ruling on LGBTQ+ people. Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School sat down to discuss this historic 6-3 SCOTUS decision in favor of a prospective wedding website designer who did not want to create wedding announcement websites for LGBTQ+ couples seeking to announce their upcoming nuptials. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the June 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including protections for incarcerated transgender people and people living with HIV. Special guest Parker Rose Wingate stops by to discuss her recent publication examining gender-affirming healthcare as symbolic speech entitled to First Amendment protections.  To read Parker's article, visit https://lawandinequality.org/article/trans-bodies-trans-speech/

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the May 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, focusing on the rights of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people to socially, legally, and medically transition. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY sits down with Richard Saenz (Senior Attorney and the Criminal Justice and Police Misconduct Strategist at Lambda Legal) to discuss Protected & Served? a community survey of LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV, the need for updates to the criminal legal system both in New York state and nationwide, and the relationship between the criminal legal system and the overall LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. To read the 2022 Protected & Served? report, visit www.protectedandserved.org. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the April 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including attempts to ban drag performances and transgender and intersex students participating in K-12 sports, and a possible upcoming Supreme Court decision on so-called conversion therapy.

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY sits down with Jane Fox (Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society) and Winston Berkman-Breen (Policy Counsel & Deputy Director of Student Advocacy at the Student Borrower Protection Center) to discuss the latest happenings with federally backed student loans, including the proposed $10k/$20k cancelation program pending before the Supreme Court, reforms to PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness), loan servicer misconduct, and resources to help borrowers.   Links discussed in this month's episode:   studentaid.gov cancelmystudentdebt.org https://www.edcapny.org/  https://studentaid.gov/feedback-ombudsman/disputes/state-ombudsman 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the March 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the rights of parents to select books available in public schools, the treatment of hate speech online, and a victory for incarcerated transgender people.

Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School discusses cases from the February 2023 issue of LGBT Law Notes, including: Updates on the Ninth Circuit denying en banc review in a challenge to the Washington State conversion therapy ban A decision from a federal district court in West Virginia upholding a biological sex interpretation of Title IX (with a mention of late breaking news about en banc review of a ruling with similar legal questions in the Second Circuit) The latest chapter in the ongoing saga of Jack Phillips and his Colorado bakery A dispute involving a Catholic hospital owned by the University of Maryland

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Charlie Arrowood, Senior Counsel to the New York State Court System's Richard C. Failla LGBTQ Commission, discuss important updates in resources available to support NYC/NYS LGBTQ+ attorneys and court users, the Failla Commission's 2023 policy goals, and strategies for LGBTQ+ attorneys in all practice areas to ensure a more equitable court system for LGBTQ+ people. For more information about the Failla Commission, visit http://ww2.nycourts.gov/ip/LGBTQ/index.shtml

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Emeritus Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss nationwide cases from the January 2023 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the rights of transgender and nonbinary youth to participate in school sports, use the restroom consistent with their gender identity, and update in the Yeshiva University Pride Alliance case, and a tribute to outgoing Law Notes Author William ("Bill") Rold. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Associate Professor K.J. Rawson, Founder and Director of the Digital Transgender Archive, discuss the work of the Digital Transgender Archive, the intersection between transgender history and laws impacting the LGBTQ+ community, and the ways the legal profession can implement valuable lessons from transgender history to shape the future of transgender rights and storytelling. https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss marriage equality cases from the December 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including the right for incarcerated people to marry, penalties for refusal to conduct same-sex marriages, a victory in New York for brides seeking the perfect outfit, and the recently signed Respect for Marriage Act. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, Christopher R. Riano, President and CEO of the nation's Center for Civic Education, and Professor Emeritus Arthur Leonard of New York Law School summarize and discuss the December 5, 2022 oral arguments in the case of 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss a variety of cases from the November 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including recent interpretations of the Bostock decision, obtaining court-ordered name changes, and updates regarding seeking asylum. For a link to the unsealed Prop 8 recordings discussed in this month's podcast, visit

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss a variety of religious exemption cases from the October 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including access to adoption and employer mandated coverage of PrEP.    It's PrEP Awareness Week! For more information access to PrEP and PEP options in NYC, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/prep-pep-resources.page

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Christopher R. Riano, President and CEO of the nation's Center for Civic Education, discuss opportunities for advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community through participating in drafting an amicus brief such as NYSBA's recent amicus in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis and membership in LGBTQ+ bar associations.    To access the brief/event discussed in this podcast, visit    https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-476/233927/20220818155659849_21-476%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf   https://nysba.org/events/writing-a-persuasive-amicus-brief-on-appeal/ 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss a handful of litigation victories from the September 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including breaking news regarding the Yeshiva University Pride Alliance case. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Jac Quiles, Senior Program Associate with the Reshaping Prosecution Program at the Vera Institute of Justice, discuss safety in the LGBTQ+ community both in and outside of the criminal legal system. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss a variety of important cases from the August 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including proposed Health and Human Services regulations to protect against discrimination in healthcare services and updates in the fight to ban so-called conversion therapy. 

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY, and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss a variety of important cases from the July 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes, including Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, LGBTQIA+ pride alliance campus groups, and access to gender affirming healthcare. 

In response to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the LGBT Bar NY is hosting a special mini-series to examine the numerous ways this Supreme Court decision impacts LGBTQ+ people and their families. For the third and final episode in this mini-series, Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar NY, and Alejandra Caraballo, Esq., Clinical Instructor at Harvard Law School, discuss how the Dobbs decision may affect accessing gender affirming healthcare, bodily autonomy, and medical data privacy. 

In response to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the LGBT Bar NY is hosting a special mini-series to examine the numerous ways this Supreme Court decision impacts LGBTQ+ people and their families. For the second episode in this mini-series, Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar NY, and Brian Esser, Esq., Law Office of Brian Esser PLLC, discuss how the Dobbs decision impacts LGBTQ+ family formation and recognition, including building and/or expanding families through assisted reproductive technology, surrogacy, adoption, and foster care.    

In response to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the LGBT Bar NY is hosting a special mini-series to examine the numerous ways this Supreme Court decision impacts LGBTQ+ people and their families. Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar NY, James Esseks, Director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer & HIV Project, and Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Counsel and Health Care Strategist at Lambda Legal, begin the conversation by examining what protections the Dobbs decision does and does not impact, how the decision impacts the credibility of both the Supreme Court and the legal profession as a whole, and what reforms may be necessary to safeguard the judicial and democratic process.    

Shain Filcher, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the June 2022 edition of LGBT Law Notes. 

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the May edition of LGBT Law Notes.  U.S. District Court Rules Against Defense Department in Cases of HIV-Positive Service Members  Federal District Court Refuses to Dismiss Mother's ACA Discrimination Claim Against Insurer That Won't Cover Her Transgender Son's Gender-Affirming Care Trump Alumni Group Engineers Challenge to Bostock Application Outside of Title VII.

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the April edition of LGBT Law Notes.  Plaintiffs Win Summary Judgment Against Former Rowan County (Kentucky) Clerk Kim Davis in Marriage License Case Texas Court Blocks Investigation or Prosecution of Parents and Doctors for Providing Gender-Affirming Treatment for Transgender Youths District Court Judge Rules on Summary Judgment Motions After HIV-Positive Man Was Denied A Job As A Security Officer For Fear Of Spreading HIV To Patients.

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar Association of New York and Andrew Teig, Managing Director at Major Lindsey & Africa  discuss the importance of networking, the current job makes for lawyers on the look, and how to build a career that you enjoy.    

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the March edition of LGBT Law Notes.  U.S. Supreme Court Will Hear Free Speech Challenge to Colorado Anti-Discrimination Law Brought by Web Designer Who Opposes Marriage Equality Kentucky Federal Court Rejects Claims against Insurer that Denied Coverage for Facial Surgery As Part of Gender Transition New York City Teacher Dismissed After Complaint by Homophobic Fourth Grader Suffers Dismissal of Title VII Claim

Eric Lesh, Executive Director of the LGBT Bar of NY and Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, discuss three important cases from the February edition of LGBT Law Notes.  5th Circuit Panels Deny Refugee Relief to Latin American Petitioners Oregon Appeals Court Gives Sweetcakes by Melissa Another Chance to Avoid Paying Damages for Violating State Anti-Discrimination Law Damages Cases Involving Sexual Assault of Prisoners by Guards Highlight Difficulties Obtaining Justice for Inmate Victims