Blog
We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.
Walter Scott’s Killing Is a Direct Result of the Current State of Policing in America Today
Apr 09, 2015
Police gunning down unarmed black men and boys is an American horror film that keeps getting replayed. Except that it isn’t a movie you can turn off: It’s a painful, outrageous, and unacceptable reality.
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Exposing Immigrants to Death Dust? No Thanks
Apr 08, 2015
Immigration detention centers are notorious for extreme isolation and inhumane conditions. So we were more than concerned when we learned a few weeks ago that ICE wants to send immigrants to a new detention facility that would put their health and wellbeing at risk.
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We are Listening: ACLU Reflections from Creating Change 2015
Apr 07, 2015
Trans and queer activists of color took the stage at Creating Change 2015 and called into question our collective priorities by raising in a real and emotional way how race, sex, gender, gender expression, nationality, and class intersect to further marginalize people within the LGBTQ movement.
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Be Vigilant. Know Your Rights Against the Deportation Machine
Apr 06, 2015
While the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability Program (DAPA) is being challenged in court and countless immigrant families are caught in the legal battle, we want to pause and remind everyone to remain vigilant of their rights.
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Michelle Really Needs This Surgery
Apr 03, 2015
On Thursday, April 2, a federal court ruled that officials at a California men's prison must provide a trans woman with surgery to affirm her gender as female - a surgery her doctors and medical experts say she desperately needs.
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Can You Be Fired for Taking Family Leave?
Apr 02, 2015
California created the nation's first paid family leave (PFL) program for workers more than a decade ago. The groundbreaking legislation has since helped many people meet their family caregiving obligations and bond with their children. But the system is flawed and needs a tune-up.
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Democracy is More than Just a Vote
Apr 02, 2015
Did you know that you have the power to impact our state laws and policies at every step of the process? Every Californian is represented in Sacramento by people you can lobby (face-to-face, by email, or by phone) to vote your way.
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Thank You Mark Benioff and Tim Cook
Apr 01, 2015
I object to so-called "religious freedom" laws because they are actually an affront to our tradition of religious freedom. Religious freedom in our country means that we can each practice the religion of our choice (or no religion if we choose).
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It's Time to Repeal the Maximum Family Grant Rule
Mar 30, 2015
For more than 20 years, California has maintained a policy of denying financial support to babies born while their families are receiving CalWORKs basic needs grants for older siblings. This policy is known as the Maximum Family Grant (MFG) rule. The only exceptions are for reported rape and incest, and the failure of certain invasive, long-acting contraceptives.For the third consecutive year, the...
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Hands Off! Don’t Touch My Hair
Mar 26, 2015
Black women like Solange Knowles and lesser known individuals like Malaika Singleton, Ashanté Reese - and even myself - have been targeted wrongly by the TSA. Why? Because of our hair.
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Get a Warrant! Senate Committee Approves E-Privacy Bill
Mar 24, 2015
Today the California Senate’s Committee on Public Safety approved the CA Electronic Privacy Act. CalECPA would require police to get a warrant before searching devices or digital data.
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FBI Ordered to Disclose its Surveillance Tactics on Communities
Mar 23, 2015
Today, a federal judge issued an important ruling for government transparency and accountability. Now the FBI must disclose details about its surveillance of Muslim communities under the Freedom of Information Act according to the ruling.
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