News & Commentary

 At the West Valley Detention Center in San Bernardino County, gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) people are punished twice: first, for the crimes they allegedly committed and again, simply for being GBT. Unlike non-GBT inmates who are housed in dorms or are out of their cells most non-sleeping hours, GBT prisoners languish in an anachronistically dubbed "Alternative Lifestyle Tank."Here, they are kept in their cells for an average of 22 hours each day and are given no access to the center's programs and facilities provided to non-GBT prisoners. They are prohibited from attending congressional prayer, and denied access to GED classes, rehabilitation programs and work opportunities -- all because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

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By Noa Yachot, @NoaYachot

None of us would want our child or sibling to attend a school that fails to provide even the most basic classes needed to earn a degree and gain access to college. Yet that is exactly what was happening at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles.

This was another banner year in Sacramento for the ACLU of California, our coalition partners and our members!

By Nicole Ochi and Jessica Price, @jessicagprice

With 336,265 residents and growing, Anaheim is the tenth largest city in California today, and yet the largest city in the state to hold at-large elections. This means there are no districts from which voters can elect a local resident to represent their community on city council.