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This Family’s House Was Targeted With Hatred. So They Turned It Around In A Surprising Way
Posted On: August 25, 2025
Supreme Court Formally Asked To Overturn Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
Posted On: August 18, 2025
If You Truly Understand These 10 Things About Relationships, You're A Rare Gem Of A Person
Posted On: August 10, 2025
Couples Who Truly Love Each Other Use These 7 Phrases On A Regular Basis
Posted On: August 04, 2025
5 Surprising Reasons Most Women Feel Zero Regret About Their Divorce
Posted On: July 28, 2025

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LGBTQ Monuments Around the World

Posted On: October 08, 2019

I love this article on where to find meaningful LGBTQ Monuments Around the World.

I personally know some...this is a fabulous guide!  I am also looking forward and proud that NYC has announced it will be erecting the Johnson-Rivera monument in 2021, which will stand as the world’s first permanent public artwork dedicated to transgender women.

Public memorials honoring figures from the LGBTQ community say a lot about a city’s culture.

Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Kelsy Chauvin, Afar.  Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.


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Frozen Embryos Can’t Be Implanted in Divorced Woman Because Ex Doesn’t Want Kids

Posted On: March 31, 2020

The issue of frozen embryos and the rights to same has been an ongoing issue in many areas of the country and in different courts.  It is an issue for heterosexual couples as well as the LGBTQ community and anyone who has reproductive challenges.  The issues can be extremely complicated even if the conceptions of the embryos were under the auspices of a legal marriage or where the sperm donor is through a sperm bank.  A known donor actually creates additional concerns and issues.

I was recently contacted by a colleague looking for guidance in dealing with a lesbian couple facing a divorce where stored embryos will be an issue. 

The case in this article does not address all of the variety of issues that can come up when dealing with frozen embryos and how the law treats them.  However, it does bring home a very important point; the better choice for clients when choosing alternative reproductive methods is to be sure that everyone's rights with respect to the embryos including a possible donor are detailed and acknowledged in a written agreement between the parties, especially if there is sperm from a known donor not chosen through a sperm bank.  Many times lesbian and gay couples may use family members as a donor to have similar genetic makeup in their children for the non-biological parent.  This again can create complicated situations that, although the parties may not want to address in writing, they absolutely should. 

There are very strong feelings around reproductive rights and ones connection to a child or possible child.  These must all be considered and people really must know where they stand before they end up in a situation where the courts have to decide. 

This stresses another good reason why people should use the skills of a trained Mediator and/or trained Collaborative attorney to resolve these issues before they get to the point where the party is facing a dissolution to the relationship and a problem as to the rights of their embryos.

Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Storm Gifford, NY Daily News
Photo courtesy of Andrei Tchernov/Getty Images

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Supreme Court Formally Asked To Overturn Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Posted On: August 18, 2025

Ten years after the Supreme Court extended marriage rights to same-sex couples nationwide, the justices this fall will consider for the first time whether to take up a case that explicitly asks them to overturn that decision.

Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for six days in 2015 after refusing to issue marriage licenses to a gay couple on religious grounds, is appealing a $100,000 jury verdict for emotional damages plus $260,000 for attorneys fees.

In a petition for writ of certiorari filed last month, Davis argues First Amendment protection for free exercise of religion immunizes her from personal liability for the denial of marriage licenses.

More fundamentally, she claims the high court's decision in Obergefell v Hodges -- extending marriage rights for same-sex couples under the 14th Amendment's due process protections -- was "egregiously wrong."

The petition appears to mark the first time since 2015 that the court has been formally asked to overturn the landmark marriage decision. Davis is seen as one of the only Americans currently with legal standing to bring a challenge to the precedent.

It's important to note that the Lower Courts have dismissed Davis' claims and most legal experts consider her bid a long shot. A federal appeals court panel concluded earlier this year that the former clerk "cannot raise the First Amendment as a defense because she is being held liable for state action, which the First Amendment does not protect."

If the ruling were to be overturned at some point in the future, it would not invalidate marriages already performed, legal experts have pointed out. The 2022 Respect for Marriage Act requires the federal government and all states to recognize legal marriages of same-sex and interracial couples performed in any state -- even if there is a future change in the law.

Click here for the full story...

Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Devin Dwyer, abcnews(dot)go(dot)com
Royalty-free photo courtesy of Pixabay

Concetta Spirio.  A Compassionate Collaborative Divorce Attorney, Mediator & Peacemaker Providing The Highest Level of Legal Representation For Over 35 Years.

#Concetta #ConcettaSpirio #ConcettaLaw #SpirioLaw #Marriage #Divorce #RealEstate #Litigation #Wills #Trusts #Estates #EstatePlanning #Mediation #CollaborativeDivorce #LongIsland #Suffolk #Nassau #Islip #Sayville #LGBT

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The Homeowners Association Told Them They Couldn’t Fly a Pride Flag. So They Did This Instead

Posted On: June 27, 2021

Well, it’s Pride month and this Wisconsin homeowner did not let their Homeowner’s Association prevent them from showing their pride colors.  This homeowner had an existing pride flag on their property since 2016, however, when someone complained, the homeowner’s association, with other conflicting complaints with respect to displaying flags, declared that the only flag that could be shown on a residence, was the American Flag. 

This homeowner got very creative and went to the by-laws and chose to flood their house with rainbow colored lights. 

I love it!  Happy Pride Everyone!

Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Bil Browning, lgbtqnation.com
Royalty-free picture courtesy of UnSplash

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San Francisco Home of Lesbian Pioneers/Activists Phyllis Lyon & Del Martin To Be Protected

Posted On: September 07, 2021

I was extremely touched and happy when I read this in a news clip in my favorite American Grass Roots Network forum publication [LC (Lesbian Connection Volume 44)].  It was there that it was reported that:

San Francisco’s city's board of supervisors voted to protect the home where Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin lived from 1955 until Del's death in 2008, saying the women "were queer activists before queer activism was a thing ... and it is fitting that their home is the first San Francisco historic landmark dedicated to lesbian history."  Phyllis remained in the home until her passing in 2020, and then it was sold for probable redevelopment.  Lesbian historian Shayne Watson spearheaded the preservation effort and helped form Friends of the Lyon-Martin House.

This was exciting news, not only because it was the first historic landmark dedicated to lesbian history in San Francisco, but for many women, including myself, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin were beacons of light and hope.  I remember many, many years ago (late 70’s), as a young high school student, reading Lesbian/Woman, a book published by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.  (The first edition of this book published in 1972).  In that book, Phyllis and Del discussed what it meant to be lesbian as well as the myths and stereotypes surrounding lesbianism.  It is now considered a foundational text of lesbian feminism. 

At that time much of the LGBTQ Community was “Closeted” or not visible.  Although more accepted and visible today, there is still much hate and as a result, fear.  I hope with more visibility and inclusion, there will be more acceptance.

Phyllis and Del were also the founders of The Daughters of Bilitis, one of the first lesbian rights organizations that were not only there for lesbian rights, but there to support all lesbians nationwide.

Royalty-free photo courtesy of UnSplash.

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New Exhibit Commemorates 50 Years of Gay Rights Movement

Posted On: April 24, 2019

It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years since Stonewall.  This is iconic for the LGBTQ community and will be a great pride celebration this year.  How wonderful that the Newseum in Washington has dedicated an exhibit to the LGBTQ rights movement that will run for the rest of the year.  Whether you were part of the movement or actively lived it, it's wonderful to see and hear about the entire history in context of all that was happing at the time.  I recently enjoyed a documentary on the LGBTQ rights movement and was surprised how much I learned.

Selected excerpt(s), linked article and photo courtesy of Julie Taboh, Arts & Culture, VOA News


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The Dread of Waiting for the Supreme Court to Rule on L.G.B.T. Rights

Posted On: April 29, 2019

Last Monday, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear three cases that seek to determine whether existing federal law bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Although marriage equality enables one to legally marry a partner of the same sex, it could get you fired - even denied housing. 

Federal courts have been divided on the question of whether Title VII bars discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Two of the cases that the Supreme Court plans to take up are cases of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. 

As currently constituted, the Supreme Court appears likely to resolve the contradictions by ruling that the Civil Rights Act does not ban discrimination against L.G.B.T. people. 

This would be a tragic set back that could take years or possibly generations to undo.

Selected excerpt(s), photo and linked article courtesy of Masha Gessen, The New Yorker

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Senate Passes Landmark Protections For Same-Sex Marriage

Posted On: December 12, 2022
Proposed legislation passed by the Senate is not what it appears to be. 

As depicted in this article, a significant occurrence happened when the Senate passed the proposed bill addressing same sex marriage. Although this is exciting and may be significant for some, it is in the view of many, insufficient and really does not do what it is portrayed to accomplish. This bill does not legalize same sex marriage nationally.  It only requires states to honor a marriage that is legal elsewhere. 

That technically has been the standard that exists in our country already. The principle of “full faith and credit” is supposed to honored where a decree, order, judgment or marriage in this case is legally recognized in one state ais supposed to be universally recognized by all states. However, that has not been the case when it comes to same sex marriage and the LGBTQ community. Although this bill purports to be a landmark piece of legislation and progress for the LGBTQ community, it is not.


Selected excerpt(s) and linked article courtesy of Al Weaver, TheHill(dot)com
Royalty-free photo courtesy of Pixabay

Concetta Spirio.  A Compassionate Collaborative Divorce Attorney, Mediator & Peacemaker Providing The Highest Level of Legal Representation For Over 35 Years.

#Concetta #ConcettaSpirio #ConcettaLaw #SpirioLaw #Marriage #Divorce #RealEstate #Litigation #Wills #Trusts #Estates #Mediation #CollaborativeDivorce #LongIsland #Suffolk #Nassau #Islip #Sayville #LGBT


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