LOS ANGELES — Scholars, professionals, advocates, and students gathered today at the UCLA School of Law for the Williams Institute's signature annual conference addressing legal and political issues impacting the LGBT community.
This year's conference explored whether, in 2012, LGBT people are equal participants in the political process. The theme for the conference was "Fair Play? LGBT People, Civic Participation & Political Process." This marks the 11th Annual Update for the Williams Institute, a national think tank and leading research institute at the UCLA School of Law that addresses issues of sexual orientation and gender identity law and policy.
"Increasingly, LGBT participate openly in every branch of government, as elected officials, judges and as voters and jurors. However, research shows that they still face considerable challenges due to prejudice and discrimination," said Brad Sears, Executive Director for the Williams Institute. "This year's conference evaluated the progress LGBT people have made, and the barriers to full civic participation that remain."
In his keynote address, U.S. Census Director Robert Groves spoke to the unprecedented outreach to the LGBT community during the 2010 Census count, which — for the first time — reported same-sex couples who identified as spouses. Groves also addressed continued challenges of fully capturing and analyzing data on the LGBT community.
The Williams Institute collaborated with the Census Bureau in conducting the outreach and provided research and analysis that supported the reporting of same-sex spouses. The Institute continues to be the leading research center in the country analyzing Census data about same-sex couples.
Panel discussions included debate on the relevance of sexual orientation for judges and jurors; trends in public opinion about core LGBT rights; and the impact of ballot measures on LGBT rights.
Williams Institute staff also announced the release of two data-driven studies on trending issues affecting the LGBT community.
The first study, entitled "Voter Identification Laws and the Potential Impact on Transgender Voters," concluded that nine states' voter ID laws may create substantial barriers to voting and possible disenfranchisement for over 25,000 transgender voters in this November's election.
"As lawmakers consider enacting stricter voter ID laws and contemplate their potential impact in the upcoming November elections, the consequences of these laws for transgender voters should not be overlooked," said the study's author, Jody L. Herman, Ph.D., Peter J. Cooper Public Policy Fellow.
Click here for the voter ID report. http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/uncategorized/the-potential-impact-of-voter-identification-laws-on-transgender-voters/
The second study, authored by BIENESTAR Human Services and funded by the Williams Institute, is entitled "Interactions of Latina Transgender Women with Law Enforcement." It reveals high levels of reported harassment and assault of Latina transgender women by law enforcement agencies in the greater Los Angeles area. The report is the most comprehensive study examining the trend among primarily immigrant Spanish-speaking Latina transgender women and analyzing their interactions with law enforcement.
Click here for the law enforcement report. www.bienestar.org/eng/page/135/publications.html
