On Thursday evening in Albany, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Capital Region Chapter will honor two state legislators for their long-time advocacy of fair marriage laws, and a grassroots coalition that fights injustice in the state’s prison system.

New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has filed court papers in support of 81-year-old Edith “Edie” Windsor’s federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor, who shared her life for 44 years with her late spouse, Thea Spyer, sued the federal government in November 2010 for refusing to recognize their marriage. She brought the lawsuit with the help of the New York Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

On Sunday, the first day that gay and lesbian couples can legally marry in New York State, the New York Civil Liberties Union will be out in force in locations across the state to celebrate with newly married couples, answer questions about the new marriage law and advocate for repeal of the discriminatory federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

On July 11, 2011, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) issued an informational letter to social service and adoption agencies clarifying that discrimination based on sexual orientation is strictly prohibited in the adoption application process and that a prospective parent’s sexual orientation is never a legitimate basis for denying an application to adopt.

The New York Civil Liberties Union today released a “Know Your Rights” guide that answers frequently asked questions concerning the Marriage Equality Act – the new law granting lesbian and gay couples the freedom to marry in New York State.

The New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union have issued the following statement regarding the bill pending in the New York State Legislature that would allow same-sex couples the freedom to marry. The statement can be attributed to Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union:

The New York Civil Liberties Union and American Civil Liberties Union tonight applauded the State Senate for passing historic legislation to give lesbian and gay couples the freedom to marry in New York State.

The New York Civil Liberties Union tonight applauded the State Assembly for taking an important step toward making marriage for lesbian and gay New Yorkers legal in New York State by passing the marriage bill 80 to 63, and called on the State Senate to quickly pass the same bill. “The State Assembly has joined Governor Cuomo and stood up for fairness, equality, family and love,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “Now it’s time for the State Senate to get on the right side of history and pass the marriage bill.”

The New York Civil Liberties Union today applauded the State Assembly for passing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) – a bill that would amend the state’s human rights law to protect individuals against discrimination based upon their gender identity or gender expression. Gender identity and expression refers to the way people present their masculinity or femininity to the world. The Assembly passed the bill in a bipartisan vote of 78 to 53.

The New York Civil Liberties Union, joined by several prominent civil rights organizations, today applied for permission to file an amicus brief in a federal appeals court in support of a transgender woman who was unconstitutionally denied any treatment for her gender identity disorder for more than six years while incarcerated in a New York State prison.