This Week in Civil Liberties

A few themes emerged at the ACLU this week: Women's Health, LGBT rights and the death penalty. We also found a moment or two to speak out against hate speech — in the advertising epicenter of the world — Times Square!

Our Bodies, Ourselves — It's a Cliché Because It's True.
Between hearings in the challenge to breast cancer gene patenting on Monday and a highly successful rally in Washington, D.C., yesterday, the ACLU was standing up for women's rights — not to mention free speech, scientific freedom, and choice — all over the place. The courtroom was crowded with scientists, medical professionals and legal scholars when the ACLU's Chris Hansen presented arguments in our case against Myriad Genetics' patent on the breast cancer gene. And about 3,500 supporters of women's health showed up at the rally. See what they had to say here.

Huge Victory in Arkansas — Ban on Adoption by Unmarried Couples Struck Down!
The law was an assault on Arkansas' vulnerable children and arbitrarily denied them the opportunity to be placed into good and loving homes. The court said, "No." (More about the case »)
>> Special! Our Own Chris Hampton talks about about the LGBT Project's most recent work on behalf of students and youth on the Savage Lovecast!

Secrecy, Military Commissions, Inertia
In national security news this week — surprise! — shifting sands of government: Some vital national secrets aren't so secret after all. Obama really, absolutely caves on fair, constitutional federal court trials for 9/11 detainees.

Cheap, Painless, Effective? Once Again, Not the Death Penalty
Capital punishment took some hits this week: a review of unfair death penalty sentencing proves to be as important as innocence, the Supreme Court granted Cleve Foster a stay of execution and Illinois proves (again) that ending the death penalty saves money.

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