Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund

Lambda is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, and people with HIV/AIDS through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.

Lambda carries out its legal work principally through test cases selected for the likelihood of their success in establishing positive legal precedents that will affect lesbians, gay men, and people with HIV/AIDS. From our offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, Lambda's legal staff of attorneys works on a wide range of cases, with our docket averaging over 50 cases at any given time.

Lambda pursues groundbreaking litigation in all parts of the country, in every area of the law that affects lesbians, gay men, and people with HIV/AIDS, such as discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and the military; HIV/AIDS-related discrimination and public policy issues; parenting and relationship issues; equal marriage rights; equal employment and domestic partnership benefits; "sodomy" law challenges; immigration issues; anti-gay ballot initiatives; and free speech and equal protection rights.

Lambda's work ultimately benefits all people, for it helps fashion a society that is truly diverse and tolerant. Our overall mission to combat sexual orientation discrimination in this country has become an intrinsic part of the struggle for civil rights.

Learn more about our work by visiting our website at http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/pages/.

GLSEN - The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

GLSEN works to end the cycle of bigotry and homophobia which victimizes gay and lesbian youth in schools throughout the U.S. Through its growing network of 85 chapters in 35 states, GLSEN strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Founded as a volunteer group in Boston in 1990, GLSEN led the fight that made Massachusetts one of the first states to ban anti-gay discrimination in its public schools in 1993. GLSEN went national in 1994 and has since become one of the nation's leading voices for equality and safety in the educational system.

How does GLSEN combat anti-gay bias in schools?

• Community Organizing - GLSEN has built a network of 85 chapters, the second-largest such networking the entire LGBT civil rights movement. Among other things, GLSEN volunteers educate school officials about the need to provide non-discrimination policies in schools, train teachers to prevent anti-gay name-calling, and serve as a community resource for teachers, parents and students grappling with LGBT issues. In addition, GLSEN's rapidly-expanding Student Pride Project provides resources and technical support to over 400 high school-based Gay-Straight Alliances.

• Educational Resources - GLSEN creates and distributes teacher training materials and LGBT-inclusive curricular resources to elementary and secondary schools across the country. By increasing the availability of high-quality educational resources, such as the Sundance Award-winning documentary Out of the Past, GLSEN provides K-12 teachers the language tools they need to create safe and affirming learning environments for all.

• Federal, State and Local Advocacy - GLSEN seeks to change the attitudes of those who have influence over daily scholastic life - from public policy leaders in Washington, DC to state superintendents of public instruction to local school board members. Using tools such as the annual Back-to-School-Campaign, which documents programs and policies protecting LGBT youth, GLSEN helps education leaders understand the pervasiveness of anti-gay bias in schools, and then works with them to stop these harmful attitudes.

Contacting GLSEN:

• On the Web at www.glsen.org.
• GLSEN National Office:

121 West 27th Street, Suite 804
New York, NY 10001
Telephone (212) 727-0135

HiTOPS - Health Interested Teens' Own Program on Sexuality

HiTOPS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote adolescent health and well-being. We are based in Princeton, NJ, near the public library, and provide clinical care and sexuality education for adolescents.

HiTOPS operates a clinic for teenage girls and boys which provides a variety of services, including:

For Girls:

For Boys:

• Physicals for camp, sports, and work
• STD Testing & Treatment
• Testicular Cancer Screening

For both:

• Free Condoms
• Confidential HIV Testing & Counseling
• Health Education & Counseling

HiTOPS also operates a variety of Educational Programs which are designed to help adolescents understand their sexuality, avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases, clarify their values, and make responsible decisions about their bodies and their sexuality.

Support Programs

First & Third - Comprehensive, community support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered youth and their allies. We work to ensure that all youth, regardless of their sexual orientation, value themselves and others. We are a "safe zone" for any youth who is facing difficulties at home or school because they are gay.

First & Third meets year round on the first and third Saturday of each month at HiTOPS. Topics for discussion include healthy relationships, using the Internet safely, homophobia, sexual health, HIV, and LGBT identity. Meetings are facilitated by HiTOPS staff and trained volunteers from the community.

Contacting HiTOPS

Contact us on our website at www.hitops.org.

We're located at 21 Wiggins Street, Princeton, NJ 08540. Telephone (609) 683-5155. E-mail us at hitops@hitops.org .