Social Movements & the Law

Rights groups argue the attorney general’s opinions, which have no legal bearing, will spread fear and misinformation

A Virginia school board whose heated meeting in June gained national attention has voted to expand the rights of its transgender and gender-expansive students.

LGBTQ advocates say the "sweeping" ruling could be used to attack “bathroom bills” and trans sports bans across the country.

Idaho passed a law banning trans girls from competing on women's sports teams last year, and more than 20 states have considered such proposals this year.

State adopts new rule that allows people to put an ‘X’ on state IDs and driver’s licenses instead of the traditional ‘M’ for male or ‘F’ for female

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, called the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, or SAFE Act, "a vast government overreach." The legislature could override the veto with a simple majority.

Aimee Stephens was not prepared for the outpouring of affection that greeted her when she emerged from the U.S. Supreme Court after witnessing history in the making. The Court’s nine justices, for

Trump has reversed Obama-era protections that prohibit discrimination in health care based on gender identity. Critics warn the rule could harm a vulnerable group — LGBTQ people — during a pandemic.

As homelessness among transgender people increases, the Trump administration is attempting to cruelly and illegally restrict their access to critically needed housing services.

Minnesota's Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to take action to protect and support access to gender-affirming health care across the state.

The controversial bill will head to Governor Greg Abbott's desk if the state house approves an amendment to the legislation's terminology.

Diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights said it’s a matter of ‘dignity and respect’

Katie Jenifer decided someone had to fight for her transgender daughter and decided she was the person for the job.

Many Native Americans are coming together for Indigenous Peoples Day to celebrate and acknowledge the ongoing challenges they face with a focus on the election.

A complicated legal fight between the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Poarch Creek Indians could have ripple effects throughout Indian country

One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss "book content," she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community were to ban stories representing minority groups. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing. Amanda Jones has been called a groomer, a pedo, and a porn-pusher; she has faced death threats and attacks from strangers and friends alike. Her decision to support a collection of books with diverse perspectives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns--funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians--in a crusade to make America more white, straight, and "Christian." But Amanda Jones wouldn't give up without a fight: she sued her harassers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance. Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers.

"Depending on the statistics you read, approximately one-third of the inmates in U.S. jails and prisons have some sort of mental disability. It has become cliche to say that our jails and prisons have become de facto mental institutions. How did we reach this point? Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers takes a look at the challenges and opportunities that are presented in these types of cases. For criminal defense lawyers of all types, clients with mental disabilities are a part of their practice. This ranges from the white-collar criminal defense lawyer who represents an executive charged with tax evasion who functions in spite of a variety of conditions which he keeps hidden, to the public defender assigned as standby or advisory counsel for the defendant who wants to represent himself at trial, to the sole practitioner representing the man with Asperger's charged with possession of child pornography on his computer. Representing People with Mental Disabilities is easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate. It is intended that you can throw the book in your briefcase on the way to the courthouse, or load it on your tablet and turn to the appropriate chapter or chapters when needed. If you want to learn more about a topic, the Suggested Works section at the end of the book contains titles of books and articles as well as websites. Additionally, many chapters contain the statement at the end, "Complete citations are available from the author/authors upon request." The accompanying website has motions and pleadings which you can adapt to your jurisdiction." --

"How successfully families in the U.S. navigate various institutional contexts frequently relies on a parent's ability to be continuously available for and capable of supporting their children. But what happens when one or both parents are immigrants who have limited English proficiency? This us the case for two-thirds of immigrant families in the U.S., and more often than not the children in these families must support their parents by acting as "language brokers," or translators, often in high-stakes situations. In Language Brokers, Hyeyoung Kwon shines a light on these lived realities for working-class Mexican- and Korean-American youth in Southern California. Focusing especially on healthcare and criminal justice contexts, Kwon shows that the work of translating is about much more than just words. These children learn early about the harsh financial realities their parents face. They are burdened with portraying their parents as "normal" Americans who deserve full citizenship rights, not as inassimilable and undeserving free riders of social welfare. Kwon's stirring account proves that, as long as immigrants' values and behaviors are blamed for what are actually structural problems, children of immigrants will have to perform Americanness to cultivate a sense of belonging"--

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is pleased to announce the publication of Library Trends 72 (1). This issue, "Indigenous Librarianship," examines the current state of Indigenous librarianship. Ulia Gosart and Rachel Fu served as guest editors. Library Trends, in partnership with the guest editors and select authors, will host a virtual webinar featuring lightning talks based on articles from the upcoming issue.

The American Library Association and the Sustainable Libraries Initiative have announced the new National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries and created an implementation guide to help libraries incorporate climate action locally into strategic and facility plans.

When you look at a photograph, you are essentially looking through the eyes of the photographer as they point something out. Their sense of artistry and structure should be clear to see, but also their biases, and their power dynamic with their subjects. In southern California’s Riverside, Report for America corps member and CatchLight fellow

This was the primary takeaway from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) Part 1, which was released on December 15. The AHAR Part 1 compiles data from Point-in-Time (PIT) Counts conducted […]

Over 1.5 million people are eligible for immigration benefits and don’t know it. Find your options by taking the Immigration Paths quiz.

Expert Contributes to First Update in American Library Association Standards Since 1992

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which wants the oil pipeline shut down, says spills near Lake Oahe were environmental violations.

Eight years after Standing Rock, water protectors are using novel anti-SLAPP laws to help expose the secrets oil companies want to hide.