Author Description

The North Carolina LGBT Legal Guide aims to explain the practical implications for LGBT individuals of Obergefell v. Hodges, the sweeping 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage as a matter of Constitutional law. Until 2015, marriage was unavailable to LGBT individuals living in North Carolina, so the myriad state and federal legal rights that are affected by marriage were simply not relevant to them. Now that that has changed, many LGBT individuals find themselves wondering precisely what marriage would mean for them. What are the implications of marriage for adoption rights, estate planning, IRA and Pension benefits, health care decisions, and more. The battle for equal rights for the LGBT community requires a collective, active and informed effort to advance, but these advancements are meaningless if the rights they secure are not understood and exercised. This book aims to answer those questions, and so to help members of the LGBT community in North Carolina fully enjoy the equal rights they now possess.