About Us

OUR BEGINNING

In April 1993, twenty-five lesbian and gay judges and judicial officers met in suburban Washington, D.C. and formed the International Association of Lesbian and Gay Judges.

Those twenty-five came from California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Oregon.

The objectives of the Association adopted at that meeting were:

  • To provide an opportunity for judicial officers to meet and exchange views and to promote education among its members and among the general public on legal and judicial issues related to the gay and lesbian community.
  • To increase the visibility of lesbian and gay judicial officers so as to serve as role models for other lesbian and gay people and to bring to the attention of the general public the prominence of these judicial officers.
  • To aid in ensuring the equal treatment of all persons who appear in a courtroom, as a litigant, attorney, juror, staff person in any other capacity.
  • To coordinate the sharing of information between lesbian and gay judicial officers and others in the gay community or the general community.
  • To serve as a resource for other lesbians and gay men who are interested in seeking judicial office.

A CHANGE OF NAME RECOGNIZES A MORE INCLUSIVE FOCUS

When she joined the Association, Judge Phyllis R. Frye (TX) wrote on her Membership Application, “Here’s hoping you all put ‘B’ and ‘T’ into the name.” At the August 22, 2014 Annual Meeting held in Manhattan, New York, the membership adopted the following motion offered by founding member and Chair of the Bylaws Committee, Justice Michael R. Sonberg (NY), seconded by Judge Paula J. Hepner (NY):

That the Articles of Incorporation of “The International Association of Lesbian and Gay Judges” be amended to specify that “The name of this corporation is ‘The International Association of LGBT Judges’ and that the purpose of the corporation be amended in the Articles of Incorporation to reflect the inclusion of “legal and judicial issues related to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community” and

That the by-laws be amended to conform to the Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation.

With the filing of Restated Articles of Incorporation with the State of California in September of 2014, the Association formally became The International Association of LGBT Judges. Our objectives have been modified to accurately reflect these objectives:

  • To provide an opportunity for judicial officers to meet and exchange views and to promote education among its members and among the general public on legal and judicial issues related to the LGBT community.
  • To increase the visibility of LGBT judicial officers so as to serve as role models for other LGBT people and to bring to the attention of the general public the prominence of these judicial officers.
  • To aid in ensuring the equal treatment of all persons who appear in a courtroom, as a litigant, attorney, juror, staff person or in any other capacity.
  • To coordinate the sharing of information between LGBT judicial officers and others in the LGBT community or the general community.
  • To serve as a resource for other LGBT persons who are interested in seeking judicial office.