Gill Foundation

Thirty years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Romer v. Evans, the landmark case that struck down Colorado's Amendment 2 as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Following tireless work and expert strategy from attorney Jean Dubofsky and her team, the Court ruled that our country's laws could not carve out people from fundamental civil rights protections.

This decision marked a sea change. In the decades that followed, Romer v. Evans would serve as a basis for rulings that struck down so**my laws and the Defense of Marriage Act—and ultimately secured the to marry nationwide.

It also started conversations. "People were less afraid," Tim Gill said. "Politicians were less afraid of discussing the issue and expressing positive opinions. So the real legacy is the change it made in people’s minds."

But that work is far from over. As Tim put it, "I don’t think you’re ever finished.” Read more from The Colorado Sun on the living legacy of Romer v. Evans and the ongoing work to defend treatment for LGBTQ people in Colorado and across the country:

30 years ago, a landmark Supreme Court decision bolstered LGBTQ+ rights — and changed Colorado’s “Hate State” reputation Thirty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Romer v. Evans overturned Colorado's Amendment 2 and ended its "Hate State" reputation.

Today the U.S. made a grave error by granting so-called “free speech” exemptions to Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy. And they turned a blind eye to the many LGBTQ youth who will be directly harmed by their decision.

The case challenged Colorado’s law banning licensed mental health professionals from practicing conversion therapy. The Court kept the law in place but severely undermined it by allowing fraudulent practitioners to claim that talk-based conversion therapy is protected speech rather than regulated professional conduct.

To be clear—this ruling is about how can be regulated, not whether it is safe or legal. It isn’t. It remains malpractice and consumer fraud, and we still have legal tools available to combat it. We can also spread the word about the enormous harms of conversion therapy to discourage parents and families from seeking out this dangerous practice.

Learn more from The National Center for LGBTQ Rights:

Supreme Court Rules Colorado Conversion Therapy Ban Violates First Amendment, But Leaves Malpractice And Other Legal Claims Intact “This decision is narrowly about how conversion therapy can be regulated. It does not mean that conversion therapy is safe or legal. Conversion therapy is still medical malpractice and consumer fraud,” said NCLR’s Shannon Minter WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Supreme Court today issued a ruling ...

Today is , an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions transgender Americans have made to our country—including those who have served in our armed forces.

Although service members have been banned from representing our country in uniform, they continue to demonstrate their courage and patriotism by telling their stories and challenging the ban in court and in the public sphere.

One of those patriots, Colonel Bree Fram, was the highest-ranking openly transgender member of the U.S. armed forces. " is not self-sustaining," she said. "It requires people again and again who are willing to stand up and say, if not me, then who?"

Hear more about Colonel Fram's story—and those of other transgender service members who continue to represent our country with honor and grace:

Transgender troops speak up as they're forced out : Consider This from NPR President Trump banned transgender people from the military during his first term.But at the time, service members could continue with their service if they had received an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.Citing military excellence and readiness, the second Trump administration is now forcibl...

As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to weigh in on the future of so-called "conversion therapy," the International Day to is an important reminder to do everything we can to protect young people from the enormous harms of this dangerous practice.

youth do not need to be "fixed." They need to be loved and supported. And there's a clear scientific consensus that conversion therapy hurts the young people it pretends to help.

This year, the Supreme Court will decide Chiles v. Salazar, a case that challenges Colorado's ban on conversion therapy by state-licensed practitioners. The ruling could undo restrictions on conversion therapy across the country — making it all the more important to take opportunities like today to broadcast the truth about conversion therapy and its harmful impact on .

Learn more through The National Center for LGBTQ Rights "Born Perfect" project:

Born Perfect - National Center for LGBTQ Rights In June 2014, NCLR launched Born Perfect, a program to end conversion therapy, by passing laws across the country to protect LGBTQ children and young people, fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety, and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these dangerous practices. Few practice...

The have always been a time to reflect on how grateful we are for the in our lives.

This season, we’ve gathered a few who—despite a challenging year—continued to advance our community on the path to LGBTQ equality.

Scroll through our 2025 holiday card to meet them:

Friends of Dorothy - Gill Foundation Holiday Card 2025 LGBTQ Americans have always found the courage, heart, and brains to push our community forward on the road to equality.

"I can't watch what's happening nationally to LGTBQ people, especially transgender individuals, and sit on the sidelines while so much damage is being done," CEO Kate Kendell told the S.J. Quinney College of Law - University of Utah earlier this fall.

Kate was interviewed by her alma mater about her path to law school, to advocacy, and ultimately to the Gill Foundation.

"I feel the weight of the responsibility, but I also feel like this is what I'm here for. We so desperately need to meet this perilous moment, and I wake up every single day with that goal."

Check out the full interview to learn more about Kate's life as a "'professional' gay for over 30 years" and what she sees as the foundation's benchmarks of success under her leadership:

https://www.law.utah.edu/resgestae-issue/standing-out-kate-kendell-leads-the-gill-foundation-in-lgbtq-law/

Thanks to Lindsay Wilcox for the wonderful profile!

Standing out: Kate Kendell leads The Gill Foundation in LGBTQ+ law - S.J. Quinney College of Law When Kate Kendell (JD '88) was a young teen, her parents got a Time-Life book in the mail about the law and how it operated...

Today the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case seeking to overturn , the decision that made marriage equality the law of the land.

“Ten years ago, the Supreme Court rightly recognized that equal protection requires access to legal for same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions as others," said Mary Bonauto, our board member and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders - GLAD Law's Sr. Director of Civil Rights & Legal Strategies.

"The only thing that has changed since Obergefell," she added, "is that people across the country have seen how marriage equality provides protection for families and children, and that protection strengthens communities, the economy and our society. Today millions of Americans can breathe a sigh of relief for their families, current or hoped for, because all deserve equal rights under the law.”

Supreme Court Denies Request to Revisit Same-Sex Marriage Decision Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, had asked the court to reconsider its landmark 2015 opinion.