Defining Family:
The Legal Battle for LGBTQ+ Rights in Braschi v. Stahl
Balancing Rights and Responsibilities
Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. Balance is needed in society, to have a right, a freedom, you must carry a responsibility, a duty. In 1989, it was hard to prove that the members of the LGBTQ+ community deserved the right to be legally recognized as a couple. Braschi v. Stahl not only achieved legal acknowledgment for a same-sex couple but also showed America that the LGBTQ+ community already carried the responsibilities for the rights that they deserved, and that being able to be held out as a family was a fundamental right for all.
Personal interview with Prof. William Rubenstein, February 23, 2025.
The history-making team (L-R): Hon. George J. Silver, Matthew J. Skinner, Henry M. Greenberg, Hon. Matthew J. Titone, Giannina Braschi, Thomas K. Duane, Prof. William B. Rubenstein (Courtesy of Historical Society of the New York Courts)