LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Project

Welcome to the page for TRLA’s LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Project. This project is an intersectional effort within TRLA to combine expertise from various legal teams to serve the unique needs of low-income LGBTQ+ Texans in our service area. 

We know that being an LGBTQ+ Texan can be challenging at times, and we are here to see how we might be able to help you navigate legal issues, from changing your name and correcting your gender marker to reflect your identity to confronting discrimination in the workplace. 

Read below to learn about some of the different services that TRLA offers to the LGBTQ+ community. To learn more, you can apply by calling 1-833-329-8752 to get connected to legal advice and assistance.  

One of the most vital services we offer to the trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming community is to assist in changing your name and correcting your gender marker. Transgender or nonbinary clients who want to change their name and/or correct their gender marker who live in any Texas county or were born in Texas can apply for assistance with this critical process. This process is straightforward in most cases, and we can help you with every step of the way.  Despite any misconceptions you might have heard about criminal history or transition status, we encourage you to apply with us to find out more about your options.  

This process can make a difference in so many areas, including employment, accessing benefits, and the mental and emotional wellbeing that comes with knowing your documents match your identity.  

You can apply for help with a name and gender marker change by calling 833-329-8752.

LGBTQ+ people can often face discrimination at work because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Everywhere in the United States, including everywhere in Texas, it’s against the law for an employer with 15 or more employees to discriminate against an employee because of the employee’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Other rights can apply. You can contact us to learn more about your rights as an employee if you feel you have been discriminated against, targeted, or dismissed from your job because of who you are. 

As of Sept. 1, 2021, Texas law barring sexual harassment covers all employers, regardless of their size – even if the employer has just one worker. It depends on the situation but check out these fact sheets to learn more:  

Schools can be difficult environments for queer, trans, and gender expansive youth. As a student in Texas, you have rights. You can apply with us to learn more about your options if you feel that a school is violating your rights, creating an unsafe environment for you, or if you feel you have been a victim of bullying or harassment and your school has not responded appropriately. 

If you feel that your civil rights have been violated because of your identity, please apply with us to learn more.  

Family law regarding queer and trans families is an evolving area of the law. If you have questions about protecting your rights as a parent or are an LGBTQ+ person going through a divorce and have questions about the process, please apply with us to see how we might be able to help you.  

LGBTQ+ people are statistically more vulnerable to assault and violence – in and out of relationships. If you are a survivor of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and need assistance with obtaining a protective order or with other legal matters, we have attorneys who specialize in these services.  

Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community can create additional challenges to navigating the immigration system and can sometimes affect the available immigration options.  Queer and trans people are overrepresented in the number of people who experience domestic violence, trafficking, and other forms of abuse in the United States, making a person eligible for certain immigration relief.  Many LGBTQ+ people also seek asylum in the United States because of homophobia or transphobia in their countries of origin.  While TRLA may not always be able to assist with these cases, members of the LGBTQ+ community are encouraged to apply to learn more about their options. 

Some laws protect people from discrimination in housing. Especially now, when so many low-income Texans have had their housing affected by the pandemic, we may be able to help if you feel that you have encountered discrimination on the part of your landlord or apartment complex.  

We know that trans and gender-nonconforming people are especially targeted by our criminal justice system. Some people are eligible to have their criminal records sealed or expunged, and we can help by looking into that.