Mission
AS NOTED IN ITS ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, THE MISSION OF THE ACLU IS "TO MAINTAIN AND ADVANCE CIVIL LIBERTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE FREEDOMS OF ASSOCIATION, PRESS, RELIGION AND SPEECH, AND THE RIGHTS TO THE FRANCHISE, TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW, AND TO EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS FOR ALL PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND ITS JURISDICTIONS. THE ACLU'S OBJECTS SHALL BE SOUGHT WHOLLY WITHOUT POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP." THE ACLU TODAY REMAINS FOCUSED ON THE OVERARCHING GOALS SET BY ITS FOUNDERS MORE THAN 100 YRS AGO, SERVING AS THE NATION'S GUARDIAN OF LIBERTY, WORKING DAILY IN COURTS, LEGISLATURES AND COMMUNITIES TO DEFEND AND PRESERVE THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES THAT THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE US GUARANTEE. THE ACLU ALSO WORKS TO EXTEND RIGHTS TO SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN DENIED THEIR RIGHTS, INCLUDING PEOPLE OF COLOR; WOMEN; LESBIANS, GAY MEN, BISEXUALS AND TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONBINARY PEOPLE; PRISONERS; AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.