Equal Rights for All: Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders in America with Mr. Matthew Coles

June 15, 2009

Chennai: The U.S. Consulate General-Chennai is organizing a discussion via digital video conferencing to commemorate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. Mr. Matthew Coles, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Director of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & AIDS Project, will discuss efforts in the United States to eliminate violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The program is scheduled between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m on June 16, 2009 at the Consulate.

Areas to be addressed in the dialogue with Mr. Coles include: hate crime laws in the United States, the civil union/same-sex marriage debate, adoption rights for LGBT persons, discrimination in the workplace, the U.S. Armed Forces "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, and the continuing battle against HIV/AIDS.

At the beginning of the program, Consul General Andrew T. Simkin will cut the ribbon to inaugurate a new poster exhibit on the history of the gay and lesbian struggle for equal rights in the United States, with photos of and quotes from a few of the most famous and accomplished LGBT Americans. (The exhibit can also be viewed online at http://chennai.usconsulate.gov.)

Bio of Mr. Matthew Coles: Matthew Coles graduated from Yale University in 1973 and from Hastings College of the Law (University of California) in 1977. Since graduation from law school, Mr. Coles has been a leader in the lesbian and gay civil rights movement. He practiced law for 10 years in San Francisco, specializing in civil rights. In 1987, he joined the ACLU of Northern California as a staff lawyer. Since 1995, he has been the Director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & AIDS Project based in New York City.

Date: June 16, 2009
Time: 6:30 to 8:00 p.m
Venue: U.S. Consulate General