Atlanta Conference For Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Makes Huge Strides To Ensure LGBT Workers Are Protected From Discrimination In Their Careers
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) June 23, 2014 -- Jeff Cleghorn, the managing partner of Kitchen New Cleghorn’s family law division, addressed attendees at the June 14 conference hosted by Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, a national non-profit that focuses on workplace equality for LGBT employees. The gathering attracted LGBT employees from major Atlanta-based corporations including Turner Broadcasting, Home Depot and Deloitte, and included a discussion panel where Cleghorn addressed the corporate impact of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, also known as ENDA.
“The momentum towards marriage equality in recent months has spotlighted the vulnerability of LGBT people in their jobs, as some have been fired after marrying or becoming engaged to marry,” Cleghorn said. “Few issues are as important as making sure that LGBT workers are protected from discrimination in their careers, which is why it’s so important that we continue pushing Congress to pass ENDA as soon as possible.”
Congressional legislation addressing LGBT employment was first introduced in 1973. The U.S. Senate passed the proposal in November 2013 by a bipartisan 64 to 32 vote, but conservative leaders of the House of Representatives appear disinclined to call the bill for a vote.
On June 18, Cleghorn addressed a special seminar on same-sex marriage in Georgia hosted by the asset management firm Ameriprise Financial. Cleghorn outlined the cultural and legal history of Georgia’s ban against same-sex marriage and provided an update on the 74 lawsuits targeting similar bans in 32 other states.
Cleghorn also led a discussion on marriage equality at the State Bar of Georgia’s 33rd annual Family Law Institute in May, which is the premiere Continuing Legal Education gathering of family law attorneys in the state. More than 600 lawyers and judges were in attendance.
“Same-sex marriage has already come to Georgia because so many LGBT couples have married in one of the 20 marriage equality jurisdictions, and since the June 2013 United States v. Windsor ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, these couples receive most of the federal benefits of marriage, even though they live in Georgia. It seems clear that it’s a matter of when-not-if same-sex marriages will be recognized by Georgia state law also, so it’s important that lawyers, financial planners, and other professionals who work to assist families be prepared,” said Cleghorn.
In August, Cleghorn will be delivering a Continuing Legal Education presentation hosted by the family law section of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, focusing on cultivating relationships with court-appointed guardians in divorce and custody cases. Kitchens New Cleghorn associate attorney Derek Krebs is part of the committee organizing the August 20 conference, which will take place at the State Bar of Georgia Conference Center in downtown Atlanta.
Jeff Cleghorn, Kitchens New Cleghorn, http://www.knclawfirm.com/practice-areas/family-law/, (404) 844-2856, [email protected]
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