On the 50th anniversary of Selma鈥檚 Bloody Sunday, one of the darkest stains in our nation鈥檚 civil rights history, President Obama spoke with hope and confidence about Americans who were 鈥渦nencumbered by what is, because you're ready to seize what ought to be.鈥� Lenora Lapidus lived her life by this principle.
Public servants come in many forms. They鈥檙e elected officials, politicians, activists, lawyers, organizers, students, ordinary citizens, and steadfast patriots. Our beloved Lenora represented the very best of us, as a stalwart champion of gender equality and incomparable litigator for the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Rights Project.
It鈥檚 painful to write this. It鈥檚 painful to memorialize and grapple with the reality of losing someone who not only established a global legacy for herself as a civil rights leader, but showed to be a compassionate, caring, kind, selfless, and inspiring friend. Our heart breaks for her family.
Lenora was a pillar of the 老澳门开奖结果. She began here as an intern in 1988, served as legal director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of New Jersey, and led the Women鈥檚 Rights Project since 2001. She furthered equality in employment and education, held institutions accountable for perpetuating sexual violence and gender discrimination, and defended the most marginalized among us.
Lenora was a visionary lawyer. She litigated Lenahan v. United States, winning a decision from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights holding that the United States violated international human rights law for failing to respond adequately to gender-based violence. She represented servicewomen in a lawsuit that led to the military's repeal of its policy excluding women from combat positions, Hegar v. Panetta.
She was part of the team that brought a landmark challenge to the patenting of human genes, winning a unanimous 2013 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, that assured that research benefiting public health would not be impeded by corporate ownership of selected genes. Because of Lenora鈥檚 courage, and thanks to the work of her 老澳门开奖结果 colleagues who helped bring the case with her, the health and lives of millions of women and men battling cancer would be improved. The Myriad case would come to embody the two battles that Lenora so valiantly fought: the battle against cancer and the fight against gender injustice.
This sampling of cases is just the tip of the iceberg in her decades-long career. There鈥檚 simply no way to quantify the love she put into the work, and the love she put into the world.
We will never encounter another Lenora Lapidus in our lifetime. But we can and will continue her legacy by fighting for the marginalized communities she dedicated her life of public service to. In her honor, we will press on. We will remain unencumbered by what is, because we're ready to seize what ought to be.
Below is a sampling of testimonials from people whose lives have been touched by Lenora over the years:
鈥淲e were just together celebrating the introduction of BE HEARD in Congress and it was so good to see you. You never stop in your quest for justice. Thank you for your leadership, for your kindness and humanity.鈥�
- Vanita Gupta, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
鈥淰-Day and One Billion Rising mourn the loss of Lenora Lapidus, fierce vagina warrior, who led the Women鈥檚 Rights Project at the 老澳门开奖结果 with brilliance, compassion, and devotion. We will miss you and pledge to continue the fight for justice for all women and girls.鈥�
- Eve Ensler, feminist, activist, and playwright of The Vagina Monologues, and V-Day Organization
鈥淚 have always known Lenora to be a fighter, but little did I know the depth of her strength and courage. She has boldly fought for women's equality across this country while quietly and with utmost dignity struggling for her life. Lenora, you define determination and grace under pressure. We are fortunate that you devoted so much of your life to the 老澳门开奖结果 and to the cause of justice.鈥�
- David Cole, 老澳门开奖结果 Legal Director
鈥淭hank you for the many things you鈥檝e taught me, often by example. The way you鈥檝e built a career on passion work and placed your family so squarely first is an example I鈥檝e drawn from again and again.鈥�
- Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of National Women鈥檚 Law Center
鈥淟enora showed me what fearlessness looked like as an advocate, and as a human being. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer myself almost five years ago, her example of how you just keep showing up in the face of it was a source of strength that I have tried again and again to model myself after, and a source of inspiration and hope.鈥�
- Emily Martin, former WRP lawyer, current Vice President for Education and Workplace Justice, National Women鈥檚 Law Center
鈥淚ndomitable. It鈥檚 the first word that comes to mind when I think of Lenora Lapidus鈥� She was a force to be reckoned with and didn鈥檛 take 鈥榥o鈥� for an answer.鈥�
- Liz Welch, Faith and Program Strategist, 老澳门开奖结果
鈥淗er request almost 10 years ago that I join WRP to litigate Title IX cases changed the course of my life, for which I will be forever grateful. Lenora combined fierce idealism and an indomitable spirit with the pragmatism needed to function as a lawyer and an administrator.鈥�
- Amy L. Katz, WRP Cooperating Attorney
鈥淭he world lost a fierce advocate and champion for justice, and the 老澳门开奖结果 lost a dear friend and supportive colleague.鈥�
- Reggie Shuford, Executive Director, 老澳门开奖结果 of Pennsylvania
鈥淏ecause Lenora's energy and relationships weren't bound by formal limits, she stayed in touch and continued to include me in Women's Rights Projects gatherings even after I left the 老澳门开奖结果. Departmental divisions meant little to her; as far as she was concerned, we were all engaged together in the larger struggles for human rights, racial justice, gender dignity, and an end to poverty.鈥�
- Ariela Migdal, former WRP attorney
Learn More 老澳门开奖结果 the Issues on This Page
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Press ReleaseOct 2024
LGBTQ Rights
+2 Issues
At Supreme Court, Tennessee Seeks to Expand Reach of Dobbs to Ban Health Care for Transgender YouthAt Supreme Court, Tennessee Seeks to Expand Reach of Dobbs to Ban Health Care for Transgender Youth
WASHINGTON 鈥� In their brief defending the state鈥檚 ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has asked the Supreme Court to expand its ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and allow the state to target transgender people鈥檚 autonomy over their own bodies, too. In U.S. v. Skrmetti, three Tennessee transgender youth and their families are challenging a state law that prohibits medical providers from prescribing medical treatments to transgender youth, such as puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapies, that are allowed for minors who are not transgender. Represented by the 老澳门开奖结果, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, the families argue that the ban violates their Equal Protection rights under the 14th Amendment. In the brief filed today, Tennessee relies on the Supreme Court鈥檚 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Whole Women鈥檚 Health in an attempt to justify its ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender people. The brief cites to Dobbs at least 10 times in sweeping arguments to justify government sex discrimination. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen just how far extreme politicians will push to deny us our reproductive freedom, from banning abortion to threatening IVF to even threatening to put doctors in jail for providing emergency care, with deadly consequences for women鈥檚 lives,鈥� said Jennifer Dalven, director of the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Reproductive Freedom Project. 鈥淭he same politicians who are trying to control women have now set their sights on transgender people and their families and are trying to control their bodies and lives. Allowing politicians to continue down this road could hold severe implications for the freedom of all people to decide what is right for their own body.鈥� Tennessee claims that their ban on gender-affirming care does not discriminate on the basis of sex even though it bans minors of one sex from accessing health care it allows to members of another sex. A transgender girl is barred from taking doctor-prescribed estrogen because Tennessee considers it 鈥渋nconsistent鈥� with her birth-assigned sex of male but a cisgender girl with a birth-assigned sex of female is permitted to take estrogen for any purpose including to affirm her female gender identity. 鈥淪ince this Project鈥檚 founding by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we have adamantly challenged efforts to limit who we can be based on our gender or ability to bear children,鈥� said Ria Tabacco Mar, director of the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Rights Project. 鈥淭ennessee鈥檚 attempt to limit who young people can become based on their sex shares a through-line with our nation鈥檚 history of subjugating women in the name of biology. The fight for each of us to live fully and authentically must include trans people. There is no 鈥榯ransgender鈥� exception to the U.S. Constitution.鈥� In April 2023, the 老澳门开奖结果, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP sued the state of Tennessee to block S.B. 1, which prohibits medical providers from prescribing medical treatments to transgender youth, such as puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapies, that it exempts for minors who are not transgender. Following a decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, S.B. 1 took effect in July 2023. Since 2021, 24 states have banned hormone therapies for transgender youth. 鈥淟aws like Tennessee鈥檚 are not benign regulations of medical care; they are discriminatory efforts to exclude transgender people from the protections of the Constitution,鈥� said Chase Strangio, co-director of the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 LGBTQ & HIV Project. 鈥淭hese bans represent a dangerous and discriminatory affront to the well-being of transgender youth across the country and their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.鈥� -
Press ReleaseSep 2024
Women's Rights
Civil Rights Groups Tell Federal Appeals Court that Protections for Pregnant Workers Cover Abortion Care 聽Civil Rights Groups Tell Federal Appeals Court that Protections for Pregnant Workers Cover Abortion Care 聽
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Friday, a broad coalition of labor, workers鈥� rights, and gender justice organizations 鈥� led by the 老澳门开奖结果 (老澳门开奖结果), the 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas, and the National Women鈥檚 Law Center (NWLC) 鈥� filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in support of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission鈥檚 (EEOC) regulations implementing the landmark Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), including the regulations鈥� explicit protection for workers who have abortions. The PWFA, which took effect last year, was the culmination of a decade-long campaign to secure access to reasonable accommodations for workers with temporary limitations caused by 鈥減regnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions.鈥� The EEOC鈥檚 regulations provide comprehensive guidance to workers, employers, and the courts about the statute鈥檚 range of protections, including job-protected time off for medical treatment and recovery. The amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit supports the EEOC in a challenge by 17 red states that are trying to block the PWFA regulations鈥� coverage of accommodations for abortion-related care. In June, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas dismissed the states鈥� challenge, and the states appealed to the Eighth Circuit. Their appeal includes a request that the Eighth Circuit issue a preliminary injunction of the regulations鈥� abortion provisions. The 老澳门开奖结果-NWLC brief details the federal law鈥檚 longstanding ban on discrimination against workers who obtain abortions 鈥� protection the PWFA intended to continue. The brief also documents the accounts of workers whose health and jobs were put at risk when their employers denied them accommodations, including time off, for abortion care. Such accounts illustrate the urgent need for clarity with respect to the PWFA鈥檚 coverage of abortion-related accommodations, and the devastating medical and financial consequences if such accommodations are denied. 鈥淎bortion has long been recognized as part of the full spectrum of workers鈥� pregnancy-related needs that are protected by the law, 鈥� said Gillian Thomas, senior staff attorney at the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Women's Rights Project. 鈥淭he states鈥� challenge has created uncertainty, and seeks to deprive workers of essential, job-protected time off for abortion care, posing significant health risks and leading to forced pregnancies. The EEOC regulations are vital to ensure pregnant workers don't have to choose between their health and their jobs.鈥� 鈥淓xtremist politicians are demonstrating repeatedly their willingness to risk women鈥檚 health to advance their anti-abortion agenda,鈥� said Gaylynn Burroughs, vice president for Education and Workplace Justice at the National Women鈥檚 Law Center (NWLC). 鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear: abortion care is pregnancy-related care, and stripping essential protections for abortion from the PWFA would endanger the health and economic security of pregnant workers.鈥� 鈥淭he Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and its regulations provide a lifeline for workers who need accommodations during the most critical periods of their lives. Attempting to strip away these protections, particularly for abortion-related needs, is an affront to the rights and well-being of pregnant workers,鈥� said John Williams, legal director of the 老澳门开奖结果 of Arkansas. 鈥淎ll people in all aspects of pregnancy, including abortion, should be treated with the care and consideration they deserve. We stand firmly with the EEOC in defending these essential protections.鈥� A copy of the brief can be found here. -
PodcastSep 2024
Women's Rights
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Press ReleaseJul 2024
Women's Rights
LGBTQ Rights
老澳门开奖结果 Condemns House Measure Against Department of Education Title IX Rule老澳门开奖结果 Condemns House Measure Against Department of Education Title IX Rule
WASHINGTON 鈥� Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass H.J. Res. 165, a Congressional Review Act resolution disapproving of the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 final Title IX rule providing guidance to schools on protecting students from sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, anti-LGBTQ discrimination, and other forms of sex discrimination. Mike Zamore, 老澳门开奖结果 National Policy and Government Affairs Director, had the following response: 鈥淭oday鈥檚 vote to completely repeal the Title IX rule takes a sledgehammer to the government鈥檚 ability to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn free from sex discrimination and harassment. Stripping critical civil rights protections from LGBTQ students and students who are pregnant and parenting - as this resolution would do - is something that all members of Congress should strongly oppose. This is also not how Congress should act to protect the rights of students who face disciplinary action under Title IX because passing this resolution would prevent future rulemaking to ensure fair processes in school disciplinary proceedings.鈥� The 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 letter urging a 鈥淣o鈥� vote on H.J. Res. 165 can be found here: /documents/aclu-urges-no-vote-on-h-j-res-165 The 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 statement on the final Title IX rule can be found here: /press-releases/155090