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COVID-19 has created so many unforeseen circumstances.  For many it has created more stress; however, for some it has actually created positive results.  For this divorced couple who were forced to co-parent differently as a result of the coronavirus, it has actually strengthened the divorced parents' relationship.

Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Dexter Thomas & Sarah Svoboda of Vice News
Picture Courtesy of thinkstock

The Supreme Court ruled last week that existing federal law forbids job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status, a major victory for advocates of gay rights and for the nascent transgender rights movement — and a surprising one from an increasingly conservative court.

By a vote of 6-3, the court said Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person's sex, among other factors, also covers sexual orientation and transgender status. It upheld rulings from lower courts that said sexual orientation discrimination was a form of sex discrimination.

Click here for more information on this landmark case!

Selected excerpt(s) courtesy of Pete Williams, NBC News.  Photo courtesy of The Atlantic.

June is Pride Month for the LGBTQIA+ Community - a time to celebrate how far the community has come and a time to reflect on how we can continue to keep enacting positive change. Marriage equality became the law of the land in June 2015 - and with marriage comes the possibility of divorce.

I have advocated for LGBTQIA+ rights since I was an undergraduate in college, and as an attorney, I believe strongly in the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals.

My colleagues at Long Island Collaborative Divorce Professionals have graciously been promoting my article explaining why mediation and the collaborative process just makes sense for LGBTQIA+ couples.

Concetta Spirio.  A Compassionate Collaborative Divorce Attorney, Mediator & Peacemaker Providing The Highest Level of Legal Representation For Over 32 Years.

#Concetta #ConcettaSpirio #ConcettaLaw #SpirioLaw #Marriage #Divorce #RealEstate #Litigation #Wills #Trusts #Estates #Mediation #CollaborativeDivorce #LongIsland #Suffolk #Nassau #Islip #Sayville #LGBT #pride #pridemonth #lgbtq #gaydivorce #mediation #collaborative #collaborativedivorce #mediator #divorcemediator #separation #divorcelaw #divorcelawyer #familylaw #divorcesupport #longisland #longislandcollaborativedivorceprofessionals #licdp #support #advocate #family #marriage #law #justice #equality #humanrights

Proud to be profiled as Colleague of the Month (pages 5 & 23), as well as contributing an article (pages 15 & 30) to this month's issue of the Suffolk Lawyer put out by the Suffolk County Bar Association.

An interesting read, but of course I might be biased!

I hope you enjoy it.

Colleague of the Month

Contributing Article

My dear friend and colleague Elizabeth Vaz is the founder and President of the Long Island Collaborative Divorce Professionals group, which is committed to helping families find a better path when faced with divorce or family conflict.

We are a coalition of interdisciplinary experts comprised of eight attorneys, four financial neutrals, and two family support specialists whose dedication and sole mission is to serve Long Island families in supportive and confidential ways during times of family crisis, and I am proud to be a part of this invaluable service.

To help reach even greater numbers of our Long Island neighbors, our first YouTube video seeks to inform and answer all of the questions you may have regarding the Collaborative Divorce process.

We plan on updating our YouTube channel with even more videos to help foster understanding and further our mission of helping families make informed choices about how best to proceed throughout any family crisis.

For immediate information, please visit:

Website • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn
Phone: 844-542-3700 • Email: info@licdp.com

After a long struggle, the first lesbian or gay couple to be able to be legally married finally happened in Northern Ireland.  From crossing borders to cross dressing to getting hitched, the history of LGBT couples who have tried to obtain legal rights to marriage is rich and varied.  This article has a lovely array of photos from the very first same sex marriages in 15 countries and the stories behind them.  It is incredibly sweet and a nice look back.  It's just a shame that some countries have taken so long to get to this point.

Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Mia Jankowicz, Insider.com
Photo courtesy of José Sellier; Phil Noble/Reuters

I Love NY!!  Our state is amazing and beautiful.  Many New Yorkers have not seen or experienced some of the wonderful places to visit in New York.  I was fortunate my parents loved to travel via a travel trailer.  So, when I was a child we traveled to many places not only in NY but New England.  This article has some wonderful places to visit and experience.