LGBTQ Chair Sam Buchbauer Provides Strong Voice for LGBTQ+ Community

"As former Chair of the LGBTQ Law Section, I would like to welcome Sam Buchbauer as LGBTQ Law Section Chair. In 2020, he graciously accepted my invitation to fulfill the role as Membership Chair of the LGBT People and the Law Committee. That Committee has now grown into the LGBTQ Law Section and as Section Chair, Sam will certainly take action to assure that it continues to grow."

- Foreword by Immediate Past LGBTQ Law Section Chair Christopher R. Riano

Pride Month is a collective expression of the LGBTQ+ community’s resilience, joy and pride. It is a time for all to come together to celebrate the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people. Pride is a celebration: a time for parades, to gather with friends, and don rainbow attire. Pride is also a time for reflection, to recognize our community’s achievements towards equality and acceptance. Even in my lifetime, I am astounded by the progress made in the past 35 years alone. ? ?

However, our community is experiencing a concerted effort to roll back our hard fought rights. We see an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ bills proposed across the country at the state level. There has also been a rise in violence against our community. A culture of hate and aggression combined with an extremist right-wing political movement attempts to disenfranchise us and crush our collective spirit.?

Becoming a Strong Voice for LGBTQ+ Rights

As the incoming Chair of New York State Bar Association LGBTQ Law Section , I am honored and humbled by the responsibility that this leadership role requires. Our community is navigating challenging times. Attacks on drag queen story hours, banning books containing LGBTQ+ content, and limiting access to medical care for transgender people threatens our freedoms, expression and individual autonomy. In the face of these challenges, there are opportunities for our Section to be a strong voice in both New York and across the United States.

Our Section offers unique opportunities for lawyers to get involved in this fight. We encourage our members to showcase their knowledge and donate their time to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. With volunteer help from Section members, we have submitted 2 Amici Briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States: one for Fulton v. City of Philadelphia and most recently for 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.

The arguments made in these briefs influence the decisions made in our nation’s highest court, and showcase our members’ talent, persuasive legal writing skills, and commitment to protecting LGBTQ+ rights at the federal level.?

OCA Bench Card

One of the most fulfilling initiatives I worked on has been the New York State Unified Court System’s Bench Card and Best Practices for Judges entitled “Using LGBTQ+ Inclusive Language and Pronouns” (the “Bench Card .”)

I Introduced a report on behalf of the Section to NYSBA’s House of Delegates, showcasing the Bench Card’s usefulness as a practical guide for judges on important LGBTQ+ terms and pronoun usage in compliance with judicial ethical and professional rules.

The Bench Card was adopted by our House of Delegates , and the report was then introduced and adopted by the American Bar Association. It was truly an honor to be involved in advancing a New York State initiative that can now serve as a nationwide template to make courthouses more welcoming and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals.?

The Road Ahead

Our Section will continue to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and I am optimistic that our members will step-up and join us in this challenge. By hosting CLE events and mixers, our Section fosters connections with LGBTQ+ identified attorneys from multiple practice areas and from across the state.

Through affinity-building with other attorneys, we can make the most impact. The Executive Committee will take a moment this #PrideMonth to celebrate our successes, reflect on our Section’s growth over the past two years, and plan for our Section’s future as our community faces increasing hostility and intolerance.

I wish you all a Happy #Pride this year and look forward to beginning my tenure as Chair of the LGBTQ Law Section.??