"Social Services" include the benefits and facilities relating to education, food subsidies, health care, job training and subsidized housing, adoption and community management.

Frankly, these services would be equally available to LGBTQ parents as they are to heterosexual parents.

Millions of American children are being raised by lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender parents.  The growing recognition of same-sex relationships has presumably expanded access to social services which may have previously been available only to heterosexual married couples.  Nevertheless, LGBTQ families still face stigma and discriminatory laws that make raising children more difficult.

If you believe you or a member of your family has been denied social services because of sexual orientation or gender identity, we recommend contacting the American Civil Liberties Union at http://www.aclu-ky.org.

Other LGBTQ Legal Issues:

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and non-heterosexual couples and individuals have other significant legal issues besides dependency, abuse and neglect cases, such as:

• Same-sex marriage and divorce
• Issues affecting children and the LGBTQ community
  • Custody
  • Parenting rights
  • Social Services ("CPS")
  • Adoption
  • Surrogacy and Artificial Insemination
• Property and real estate rights of unmarried couples versus married couples
• Elder law and estate planning for the LGBTQ community
• Employment discrimination and equal rights
• Domestic violence in the LGBTQ community
• Drug, alcohol and substance abuse in the LGBTQ community
• Mental Health Issues