Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians

Anthony C. Infanti is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. His work focuses on sexual orientation and the law, paying particular attention to the application of the tax laws to lesbians and gay men.

“Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians is a combination of powerful narrative and intricate legal analysis. Anthony Infanti writes in a style that is easily accessible for nonlawyers while also providing the details and research notes that lawyers and academics will appreciate. His message, that legal change alone will not stamp out antigay bias, is not new, but his telling of this story is fresh, insightful, and full of constructive suggestions for social activists who wish to advance the cause. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who cares about lesbians and gay men.” —Patricia A. Cain, Inez Mabie Professor of Law, Santa Clara University “Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians presents an exhaustive survey of legal issues that impact the lives of gay and lesbian citizens from cradle to grave. Through effective use of the narrative voice, Infanti makes the law that governs everyday life events both accessible and alive, as he shows law’s impact on his own life and that of others. Readers will find this book a helpful resource, highly informative, sometimes provocative, and always a pleasure to read.” —Robin West, Georgetown University Law Center “Anthony Infanti should be commended for producing a desperately needed call to action to address and eradicate anti-gay bias. Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians is a compelling and sophisticated look at the ways that homophobia and heterosexism forcefully impact the lives of lesbians and gay men, resulting in a host of traumas ranging from verbal assaults to homicides. His work provides a thorough and yet comprehensible background on legal issues that may at times simultaneously revictimize and support survivors of anti-gay bias. This book will certainly be a useful tool to activists seeking to end anti-gay bias.” —The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs “This reference goes beyond the usual by describing the experiences of gays and lesbians at home, in the workplace, and even on the street, focusing on public accommodation and bias crimes, equity in education and the military, fairness in employment and housing, marriage and its alternatives, medical issues such as being allowed to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, financial issues such as wills and property ownership, and tax planning. One of the best chapters is on the legal side of parenting, including adoption for same-sex couples. This also has an appendix containing a nice list of legal and other resources.” —Book News Inc.

• Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Public Accommodations and Bias Crimes; Chapter 3 Education; Chapter 4 The Military; Chapter 5 Employment and Housing; Chapter 6 Marriage and Its Alternatives; Chapter 7 Medical, Financial, and Tax Planning; Chapter 8 Parenting; Chapter 9 Parting Thoughts;