California LGBT Consumer Rights Lawyer
You Are No Less Equal
If you, like many members of the LGBT community, spent years in the closet, you probably felt an enormous sense of relief the first time you walked into a gay-friendly business and found that you could just be yourself. That’s how you should feel all the time because there are laws in place to protect you as a consumer or customer from being treated in a discriminatory manner.
California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibits businesses from acting in a discriminatory manner and violating LGBT consumers’ rights. It states that:
“…all persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation, are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever.”
These “lunch counter” laws originated with the sit-ins of the black civil rights movement decades ago and California extended protections to LGBT persons. Any business which denies admission, charges different prices, or otherwise seeks to discourage fair and equal access is in violation of the law.
Contact the GLBTQ civil rights attorneys at The Dolan Law Firm when you need a strong advocate to protect your rights to equal treatment.
San Francisco Access to Commercial Establishments Attorney
At The Dolan Law Firm, our LGBT consumer rights advocates fight hard to establish LGBT rights to equal access to businesses under California law. Christopher Dolan, the founding member of The Dolan Law Firm, is committed to ensuring you are treated fairly.
Mr. Dolan has been chosen as a “Northern California Super Lawyer” for five consecutive years. He was selected as the California Consumer Attorney of the Year. He holds an AV-Preeminent in the Martindale-Hubbell peer-review rating process for “highest legal ability” and ethical standards.*
Equal Access to Business Establishments
In California it is unlawful for a business enterprise to discriminate in the provision of goods for services on the basis of one’s status as a member of the LGBT community. You need legal help to enforce your LGBT consumer rights if you have been exposed to blatant bigotry, such as when:
- A restaurant refuses to seat you because of your sexual orientation
- A service provider refuses to cut your hair, give you a massage, clean your house, help you try on shoes or provide some other service to you because you are, or they think you are GLBT or HIV-positive
- A B&B refuses to honor your reservation when you check in and you believe it is because you are a transgender or homosexual individual
- An athletic club refuses to extend your same-sex partner the same benefits as heterosexual couples
- A vendor refuses to sell supplies to your company because you are part of the LGBT community
- Your company is denied a contract with a business or commercial establishment because the business owner thinks you are a gay, lesbian or transgender person
A business establishment that discriminates against members of the LGBT community and/or persons with HIV/AIDS can be required to pay for non-economic damages (emotional distress) as well as economic damages (monetary losses, increased costs). They could also face punitive damages (penalties) for their illegal conduct.
Contact a San Francisco Access to Commercial Establishments Attorney
If you, or someone you know has been discriminated against in the receipt of or the denial of goods, services, or admission to businesses or public facilities, contact our San Francisco law office to schedule a free initial consultation.
Our lawyers work on a contingency meaning that you pay no fees or costs upfront. If we obtain a recovery on your behalf, we receive a percentage of any recovery we obtain for you. No recovery, no fee.
