Lavender Families and the Law" will be the subject of the fifth annual daylong Conference on Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues sponsored by the Office for Community Affairs at Wayne State University Friday, February 20, in the McGregor Memorial Conference Center at WSU.

Concurrent morning workshops include:

* Legal protection of gay and lesbian relationships (including durable power of attorney, wills, trusts and deeds);

* Gay and lesbian parenthood (custody, adoption, second parent and guardianship issues);

* The special legal concerns of young people (homelessness, emancipation, employment and access to resources);

* Non-discrimination laws and policies (overview of existing laws, marriage, hate crime bill, HIV/AIDS legislation and local ordinances);

* Workplace issues (personnel policies and domestic partnership benefits); *How to create a positive work environment (will focus on the Big 3 car companies).

A panel discussion on gay and lesbian marriage will take place after lunch.

Evan Wolfson, senior staff attorney at Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, will be the keynote speaker. He is director of Lambda's Marriage Project and co-counsel for the lesbian and gay couples seeking the right to marry in Hawaii's landmark case Baehr vs. Miike.

Cost of the conference, including lunch, is $40. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Community Affairs at (313) 577-2246.