Unprecedented Past. Unstoppable Future.
For 50 years, Lambda Legal has represented unprecedented legal victories and a vision of equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV.
Our History
In 1973, Bill Thom founded Lambda Legal with only $25 in the bank and the organization’s name taped to his apartment mailbox with a Band-Aid. The goal was to focus on litigation first, and education second. Nearly fifty years later, Lambda Legal has done just that, taking on cases that address marriage equality, youth in schools, LGBTQ+ families, and workplace discrimination while creating education campaigns around HIV stigma, transgender sports bans and access to health care. Take a look.
For 50 years, Lambda Legal has worked to address the highest priority needs for members of the LGBTQ+ community and those living with HIV.
As we push forward, Lambda Legal will continue to serve as a firewall against the escalating attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV, and continue to chart the course to a world where our identities and relationships are respected, protected, and celebrated. We will continue to do so through:
Impact litigation designed to expand protections and defend the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV
Education programs to expand awareness and build coalitions of support for our communities
Public policy advocacy to challenge anti-LGBTQ+ bias and create new protections in our legal system