Dear Friends,
We, at Bet Tzedek, hope you’re having a wonderful Pride Month full of joy, celebration, and empowerment. As we participate in exciting and uplifting Pride events throughout the month, let us not forget that it all started with the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Lower Manhattan, New York City. This protest is cited as the watershed event that shaped the gay liberation movement in the U.S., occurring as a response to police violence against gay communities. It sparked a series of protests and activism across the country and, soon after, the world.
Currently, California senators approved a bill that would ban school districts from passing policies requiring staff to notify parents if their child uses a different name or pronouns at school (outing them). This bill is now awaiting a signature from Governor Newsom, which we hope happens soon. Bet Tzedek supports legislation that keeps the LGBTQIA+ community safe.
While much progress has been made, the fight is not over. It is dire that we continue to stand in solidarity and support of our LGBTQIA+ friends. As of now, the ACLU is tracking 522 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in the U.S. This includes everything from civil rights restrictions to healthcare barriers to curriculum censorship and forced outings in schools. You can get involved with the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQIA+ civil rights organization, to fight back.
And fighting back is what we do at Bet Tzedek. Our Justice for Transgender Individuals services assist with changes to legal names and gender markers, denials to health insurance and benefits, employment and landlord-tenant disputes, and discrimination at schools. We focus on intersectionality as a central tenant, recognizing that oppression does not exist in a bubble. There are overlapping social identities like race, class, ability, gender, and more. LGBTQIA+ individuals who are also BIPOC, for instance, find themselves experiencing higher incidences of discrimination and police interactions. That is why we offer a broad range of services that help people at all intersectionalities, from all walks of life.
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This Pride Month, Our Directing Attorney Jeffrey Webb Shares His Impactful Story
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Jeffrey Webb, Bet Tzedek’s Directing Attorney for Impact Litigation, shares his beautiful and compelling journey this Pride Month. He opens up about coming out in the ‘80s, finding community and solidarity, navigating the legal field in his early days as someone who was openly gay, experiencing and overcoming discrimination, his LGBTQIA+ advocacy, life with his husband and two children, and much more — all with a sprinkle of humor. Read his full story here. (Abridged below)
“My coming out journey began in the ‘80s. I say journey, because coming out never ends. People just assume you are heterosexual and presume that my spouse is a woman until I set the record straight, so to speak. Like many gay boys, I was beaten up, bullied, and teased as a kid because people thought I was gay... Fortunately, when I came out, I had a supportive family and supportive friends. I remember the first time I truly felt queer joy when I walked into a gay venue and was finally surrounded by my people. That was indescribably affirming.
To this day, when I hear songs by Erasure, the Pet Shop Boys, or New Order, I’m immediately transported back to those early out years. It was loads of fun, but also a scary time. It was still somewhat early in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. One wrong choice with a date felt like it could become a life sentence...
I wasn’t out in my first job, clerking for a federal judge... When I first started practicing law, I decided to be out... I remember being the first associate to bring a same-sex date to a firm event and managing the wide range of reactions... I think taking that step may have made things easier for the next LGBTQIA+ associate who decided to take a risk and bring a date. Eventually, I became the first partner at the firm who had been out as an associate. Times do change.
Throughout my career, I have tried to advocate for the community. I served on the board of the West Hollywood Homeless Organization, mentored junior LGBTQIA+ lawyers in affinity groups where I worked and through LGBTQIA+ bar associations, and led teams of lawyers working on amicus briefs for marriage equality...
On the personal front, I ended up marrying that guy I took to the firm event. We’ve been together over 30 years. We were among the earliest cohorts to build an LGBTQIA+ family... For over 18 years, we took our children annually to the LGBTQIA+ Family Week in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where they were able to see countless families like ours. The boys grew up in a much more accepting world than my generation.
Nowadays, people feel comfortable coming out much younger, and the spectrum of identities is wonderfully continually expanding... We’ve come a long way and today, unlike that petrified gay boy I used to be, I’m happy to say that I’m proud to be a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Happy Pride!”
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Protecting Legacies: New Responses to Supporting Senior Scam Victims (WEAAD 2024)
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On June 6th, Bet Tzedek’s Elder Justice team held the 8th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) event, “Protecting Legacies: New Responses to Supporting Senior Scam Victims.” This year’s event was focused on innovative social and legal programs to help elder fraud victims.
Our staff members Alisa Anderson discussed latest scam trends, Dominique Sanz-David was on the “Probate Law Approaches to Scams” panel, Aimee Williams moderated the “Consumer Law Approaches to Scams” panel, and Dani Kaiserman gave closing remarks.
A big thank you to the 100+ attendees for a wonderful day of learning and partnership, and to our partner Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. And a special thanks to our dynamic experts who shared their knowledge. During the keynote address, Amy Nofziger, AARP’s Director of Fraud Victim Support, shared scam victim Kate’s impactful testimonial. Watch a snippet of it here.
We closed the day with a policy update on SB 278 (you can support this bill to hold banks accountable to senior scam victims). There was also an interactive discussion on burnout prevention and care for professionals in this line of work.
We’re so glad this year’s WEAAD event was a success and continue our fight to keep elders safe.
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Call to Action: Tell Assembly Leaders to Protect Small Businesses and Nonprofits!
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We’re calling on Assembly Members to pass the Commercial Tenant Protection Act, or SB 1103 — a bill that Bet Tzedek is co-sponsoring — to ensure transparent and fair commercial tenant practices to prevent small businesses and nonprofits across the state from being displaced.
We need you to make your voice heard at each stage of the process! Even if you’ve taken action before, please send another email or call Assembly leaders.
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'Summer for Justice' Law Interns Take Over Bet Tzedek
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We are thrilled to welcome 43 distinguished law students and undergraduates from across the United States to Bet Tzedek’s Summer for Justice internship! Among our diverse interns are both international and first-generation American students. With experiences ranging from being an AmeriCorps Fellow to volunteering at an immigration clinic to advocating for climate revolution, these exceptional students come to us from schools like Yale, Duke, University of Michigan, UCLA, Georgetown, University of Chicago, UC Berkeley, Southwestern College, University of Southern California, and more.
They will be embedded with our amazing team of in-house experts across all the critical program areas we cover. Our interns’ contributions to our organization and to the client communities we serve will be significant in our ongoing effort to “bend the arc” towards social justice!
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Bet Tzedek in the Media: Estate Planning and Transgender Name Change Clinic
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This year, Bet Tzedek and its staff have already been featured in more than a dozen news stories. Here are two recent ones that demonstrate our work in estate planning and transgender rights. Check them out:
"Concerned about her family’s future, 66-year-old ‘Lucia’ contacted Bet Tzedek to ask about free estate planning services. 'Lucia' recently adopted her young grandson and wanted to make sure he and other loved ones would be taken care of after her death. Unfortunately, as Bet Tzedek’s legal team began working with her, 'Lucia' was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer, making her need to plan even more urgent.
Bet Tzedek created a trust for 'Lucia,' ensuring that her house would seamlessly go to her daughter and grandson after her death. 'Lucia' planned today for a better tomorrow, but many families in Los Angeles County miss the opportunity to protect their assets because of misconceptions about estate planning..."
"Bet Tzedek is known for its legal advice, counseling, and court representation. It offers a range of services for the LGBTQ community, including legal name and gender marker changes for transgender individuals.
'This is a regular thing that we have at Bet Tzedek, so this is kind of a special one that we’re doing with PCC, which is really exciting,' said Steven Friday, a transgender rights attorney with Bet Tzedek..."
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Help a Transgender Woman Combat Gender Discrimination
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Case Description: Ms. M is a 41-year-old Latinx trans woman who experienced gender-based discrimination while working as a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen in Redondo Beach. When she was hired on June 15, 2022, she asked her kitchen manager if she could use the ladies’ room and the request was denied. Instead, the manager told Ms. M that she needed to use the men’s restroom while he said he asked the restaurant owners if she could use the ladies’ restroom. The manager never actually spoke to the owners and Ms. M was never allowed to use the ladies’ restroom.
In addition to being denied the use of the restroom reflecting her gender identity, Ms. M was subjected to deadnaming and discriminatory verbal harassment throughout her employment. Ms. M’s manager also would routinely tell other staff members when they could take their 10-minute rest breaks and never told Ms. M when she could take hers, eliminating her ability to do so. After three months, Ms. M was terminated. Additional information contained in pro bono memo, available upon request.
Special Notes: The statute of limitations for filing a claim under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) is three years. Ms. M has until September 2025 to take action against her former employer. Once a Right to Sue notice is issued, the statute of limitations is one year to file in Superior Court.
Next Steps: Meet with the client to discuss her goals and expectations. Prepare and file complaint with the California Civil Rights Department.
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Join the Bet Tzedek Team!
Have a passion for helping underserved residents in the community? Want to work alongside dedicated staff and volunteers who help up to 100,000 people per year?
Here are some critical positions we need to fill, plus more (see button below):
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