News & Commentary

The United States has a long history of persecuting and stigmatizing people and ideas it doesn’t understand: Islam, HIV/AIDS, mental health, and abortion to name a few. One of the most widely and ferociously debated social issues in the last 30 years is the rights and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. From marriage equality to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, we’ve argued our way through decades of prejudice, persecution and power dynamics, centered on some of the most vulnerable among us. Despite historic wins for equality at the national, state, and local levels, there are still a handful of fringe, anti-equality groups fighting to push the LGBT community to the margins of society, dismissing and dehumanizing their experiences as un-American and irresponsible.

The ACLU of Northern California is saddened and troubled by the tragic shooting of 13-year-old Andy Lopez by a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy. It is imperative that there be a robust and transparent review of this incident, including the public release of any and all findings resulting from the investigation of any law enforcement agency into this shooting.

The ACLU of Northern California urges Santa Clara County to keep its current immigration detainer policy and to reject the District Attorney's recommendation to adopt a policy that would allow enforcement of immigration detainers under certain circumstances.

The ACLU of Northern California, along with other public interest and legal services organizations, won an important victory last week for families who live in public housing.

This summer Californians celebrated a historic victory when Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB 1266 – the School Success and Opportunity Act. The law makes sure that all students, including transgender students, have the opportunity to graduate from California’s public schools, by ensuring they can be themselves and fully participate in school facilities and activities such as sports and physical education that match their gender identity.

The ACLU of California took a position on over 118 bills before the legislature. This year stands as one of the most robust in advancing our civil liberties: the governor signed into law 12 of our priority bills.

Shocking revelations about creepy government surveillance came in waves over the summer, from the Snowden leaks to the Hemisphere Project, through which the government has paid AT&T for access to a mind-bogglingly vast database of our telephone calls. In many cases of new surveillance technologies like Hemisphere, there are serious constitutional concerns that courts have not yet reviewed. That’s where we come in.

Today is a frustrating day in California. Despite huge overwhelming support from California voters from across the state and political spectrum, Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed an historic sentencing reform bill that was sent to his desk with bipartisan support in the state Legislature.

Today Governor Brown missed an important opportunity to improve educational opportunities for our most vulnerable students by vetoing SB 744. The bill, authored by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Long Beach) would have protected students by establishing fair transfer processes, ensuring that students’ educational needs are met and providing clear pathways for students to return to traditional schools.