Resources for transgender community and current info on LGBT rights from attorneys will be available for free at Blue Ridge Pride
The Campaign for Southern Equality, Pisgah Legal Services, Gender Benders and Walton Law Office are co-sponsoring a free legal clinic at Blue Ridge Pride on Saturday, October 3rd from noon to 5 p.m.
The legal clinic will offer a broad array of legal info and resources that includes:
- Guidance on Affordable Care Act enrollment and information for the LGBT community regarding health care coverage;
- Information guides and medical resources created specifically for the Transgender community;
- Name change and gender change documents will be available through the Campaign for Southern Equality’s LGBT Rights Toolkit;
- Individuals will be able to complete a Health Care Power of Attorney on site for free with the assistance of attorneys and notaries.
Pisgah Legal Services Managing Attorney Jaclyn Kiger said, “Pisgah Legal Services is pleased to partner with the Campaign for Southern Equality to offer information on signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act as well as other legal health care concerns such as Health Care Power of Attorney documents. Last year alone, Pisgah Legal Services helped educate and assist thousands of local people to get the health care coverage they needed. Our staff and volunteer navigators are trained to offer unbiased advice and can answer questions regarding the many options under the NC Marketplace. The LGBTQ community may have questions regarding their legal rights related to health care and we will be on hand to answer those questions.”
“Health Care Powers of Attorney allow individuals to name the person who will make their healthcare decisions if they are ever incapacitated. These documents are particularly important in the LGBT community, where immediate family members might not be supportive, spouses might not be recognized by the state of North Carolina, or transgender issues might not be respected by someone’s next of kin. Transgender people find Health Care Power of Attorney documents especially helpful in communicating their wishes to healthcare providers, for example continued hormone treatment or even the very fact that they are transgender,” said attorney Diane Walton of the Walton Law Office.
“The Gender Benders are excited to be partnering with organizations at Blue Ridge Pride to offering peer support, a resource guide on funding transition and journals we created by trans* folks for trans* folks. We will also be helping folks connect with the local resources they need through the process of transition. We’re grateful for our friends at the Campaign for Southern Equality for coordinating this dynamic partnership designed leave a lasting impact on trans* lives in the Carolinas,” said Ivy Hill, Program Director for Gender Benders, an organization for transgender, gender variant, LGBTQQI individuals, and our allies in the Upstate of South Carolina.
Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Executive Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, said, “While we have made great strides toward equality, LGBT people in North Carolina still lack many basic legal protections. It is critical for our community to have accurate information about our rights and how we can protect ourselves and our families – ranging from completing a health care power of attorney form to completing the name change process.”
Please join us at Blue Ridge Pride!
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, the Campaign for Southern Equality is a non-profit organization that empowers LGBT individuals and families across the South and advocates for full legal equality for all.
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