Lambda Legal appeals case of lesbian harassed in senior housing facility
From a press release 2017-01-18
This article shared 680 times since Wed Jan 18, 2017
Lambda Legal announced today that it will appeal its case on behalf of Marsha Wetzel, a lesbian woman harassed at her senior housing facility, after the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted Glen St. Andrew Living Community's request to dismiss the lawsuit. Lambda Legal, along with its co-counsel, Foley & Lardner LLP, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Marsha, after the facility's administrators failed to protect her from harassment, discrimination and violence from other residents because of her sex and sexual orientation.
"Housing providers, like employers, can be held liable when they know about discriminatory abuse and harassment and fail to take steps to stop it. Glen St. Andrew is obligated to provide a safe living environment for the seniors who live there. We feel the District Court's dismissal of Marsha's lawsuit does not appropriately apply the law and we're confident that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals will agree," said Karen Loewy, Senior Attorney and Seniors Program Strategist at Lambda Legal. "All seniors should feel safe in their homes. But Marsha Wetzel has been attacked at Glen St. Andrew simply because of who she is and whom she loved: a woman with whom she lived and nurtured a family for thirty years. This kind of discrimination and harassment is not only wrong, it's illegal."
Glen St. Andrew Living Community is a for-profit senior living facility in Niles, Illinois. Marsha moved into the facility after being evicted from the home she shared with her late partner by her partner's siblings. After she disclosed to other residents that she had been in a long-term relationship with a woman and that they had raised a child together, some residents began to harass her, physically attack her and call her names like "fucking dyke," "fucking faggot," and "homosexual bitch." Marsha reported these incidents of harassment and abuse to facility administrators, but rather than taking action to address the ongoing discrimination, the staff have marginalized and alienated Marsha and retaliated against her for complaining about the harassment. Marsha contacted the Lambda Legal Help Desk after the facility did not address her complaints.
"The attacks and abuse have been so severe that I'm afraid to leave my room. This isn't how anyone should live their golden years," said Marsha. "The love of my life was a woman and I don't want to hide that part of my lifethat was the best part."
Lambda Legal's lawsuit brings claims under the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sex.
The case is being litigated by Lambda Legal Counsel and Seniors Program Strategist, Karen Loewy, along with Staff Attorney and Health Care Fairness Strategist Kyle Palazzolo, and co-counsel John Litchfield, Ellen Wheeler, Will Lopez, and Tom Dreblow of Foley & Lardner LLP.
Artemis Singers presents June 8 "Never Doubt: We Are Here" Pride Concert & Dance 2024-04-27 --From a press release - CHICAGO─Artemis Singers, www.artemissingers.org, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, presents "Never Doubt: We Are Here" Pride Concert & Dance, Saturday, June 8, at First Congregational Church of Evanston UCC, 1445 Hinman Ave. ...
WORLD Queer-friendly spots, religion items, Argentine protests, Iraqi bill 2024-04-26 Following a travel warning issued for LGBTQ+ tourists in Greece, euronews published a list of the European spots that are most welcoming to queer people. Even though same-sex marriage was recently legalized in Greece, the British ...
NATIONAL Montana suit, equality campaign, Michigan St. incident, hacker group 2024-04-26 Video below - A class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Montana is challenging that state's policies restricting transgender people from updating the gender markers on their birth certificates and driver's licenses, Montana Public Radio reported. The suit, fi ...
Activists highlight benefits of decriminalizing sex work 2024-04-25 Community advocates from across Chicago gathered at Maggiano's Little Italy, 516 N. Clark St., on April 25 to discuss the safety of Illinois sex workers. After a brief introduction, Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson and ...
New Title IX rules protect LGBTQ+ students...to a point 2024-04-19 New Title IX guidelines finalized April 19 will protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students by federal law and further safeguards of victims of campus sexual assault, according to ABC News. But those protections don't extend to ...
Supreme Court allows Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors 2024-04-18 The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request by Republican Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador to lift a lower court's temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing its felony ban on gender-affirming care for minors, The ...
City Council passes Lesbian Visibility Week proclamation 2024-04-17 Chicago alderwomen Maria Hadden (49th) and Jessie Fuentes (26th) introduced a resolution at Chicago's April 17 City Council meeting to declare April 22-28 as Lesbian Visibility Week in Chicago. This is part of a nationwide effort ...
'United, Not Uniform': Lesbian Visibility Week starts April 22 nationwide 2024-04-17 --From a press release - San Francisco — Lesbian Visibility Week (#LVW24) kicks off on Monday, April 22 with a private event at the London Stock Exchange USA headquarters in New York City. This exclusive gathering marks the beginning of a ...
Appeals court overturns W. Va. trans sports ban 2024-04-17 On April 16, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with teen trans runner Becky Pepper-Jackson and overturned a West Virginia law that banned transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams in ...
Fed appeals panel ruling helps trans athlete 2024-04-17 A three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday (April 16) that West Virginia's law barring transgender female students from participating on female student sports teams violates federal law. In a 2 to 1 decision, the panel ...
Brittney Griner, wife expecting first baby 2024-04-15 Brittney Griner is expecting her first child with wife Cherelle Griner. According to NBC News, the couple announced on Instagram that they are expecting their baby in July. "Can't believe we're less than three months away ...
Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.
All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).
The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.