Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Arenda Allens ruled in favor of former-high school student Gavin Grimm by refusing to dismiss his case against the Gloucester County School Board over the right of transgender students to use bathrooms that corresponds to their gender identity.
Education Department Will No Longer Protect Trans Student from Bathroom Discrimination
The Department of Education told BuzzFeed News on Monday that they will no longer investigate or take action to protect transgender students who are denied access to the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. The Department has yet to release an official statement.
Trump Administration to Protect Health Workers Denying Treatment on Moral Grounds
On Thursday, the Trump administration announced the creation of a new division at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that seeks to defend healthcare workers who choose to discriminate against patients who have had or who require certain medical procedures, such as abortions, due to moral or religious objections.
Trump Reinstates Ban on Recruitment of Transgender Troops
President Trump issued a memorandum last week reinstating a ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the United States military and forbidding the Department of Defense from providing medical treatment related to healthcare for transgender service members.
Trump Plans to Reinstate Ban on Transgender Troops
President Trump announced via Twitter on Wednesday morning that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals serving military “in any capacity” in the United States military. There are currently 1,320 to 6,630 transgender people serving in the military.
Defense Department Delays Plan to Allow Transgender Recruits
Military officials will now have until December 1, 2017, to conduct a review process to determine whether allowing transgender people to enlist will affect the “readiness or lethality” of the United States Armed Forces.
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Wisconsin Transgender Student
Last week the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Wisconsin school district violated Ash Whitaker’s civil rights when they prevented the transgender student from using the boys’ bathroom. The court ruled that Whitaker’s civil rights are protected under the sex discrimination ban in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Oregon Governor Signs Bill to Progress Transgender Rights
HB 2673 will make the process of making changes to birth certificates more private, an important step towards decreasing housing, medical, and employment discrimination against transgender people in Oregon by judges, employers, landlords, and others with access to public records.
North Carolina Lawmakers Roll Back Anti-LGBTQ Repeal Bill
The new bill, while repealing the language of HB2, does little to overhaul the harmful impact of the law. The North Carolina General Assembly will still have authority to pass laws over access to multi-stall restrooms and bar local governments from putting forward nondiscrimination ordinances until 2020.
Supreme Court Sends Transgender Rights Case Back to Lower Court
On Monday the Supreme Court announced that they will no longer hear the case of transgender student Gavin Grimm, sending the case back to the appeal’s court for further consideration in light of the Trump administration’s rescinding of Title IX protections for transgender students.
Trump Rescinds Obama Administration Protections for Transgender Students
In a joint letter from the Department of Justice and Department of Education, the Trump administration claimed that the Obama administration had not sought proper legal analysis or provided appropriate explanation for why these protections were guaranteed under Title IX.
Boy Scouts Drops Ban on Admitting Transgender Boys
Moving forward, the program will base admission off of the gender listed by the child or parent on the application, rather than the sex listed on the child’s birth certificate, as was the practice previously.
LGBTQ Protections Expanded to State Services in Virginia
This past Thursday, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed off on an executive order prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity within state services and by state contractors.
Judge Orders Minnesota to Lift Ban on Funding Gender Transition Surgery
This week a district court judge in Minnesota ruled that the state’s Medical Assistance program must lift its decade long ban on funding procedures related to gender transition, calling it a constitutionally protected aspect of transgender individuals’ fundamental right to privacy.
Voter ID Requirements and Transgender Americans
Five days out from the election and voter ID laws are in effect in 30 states.
Supreme Court Will Hear Case of Transgender Student Barred from School Restroom
The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear the case of Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old transgender student who was barred from using the boys’ restroom at his Virginia high school.
Army Approves Gender-Transition Surgery for Chelsea Manning
This past Tuesday, the United States Army approved gender-reassignment surgery for Chelsea Manning, who is currently serving 35 years in a Kansas military prison for distributing classified information to WikiLeaks.
Small Victory in Fight Against North Carolina’s Bathroom Bill
Last week federal judge Thomas Schroeder blocked the University of North Carolina from enforcing the state’s HB 2 law’s transgender bathroom restriction only in the cases of the three plaintiffs, two students at UNC and a North Carolina Central University law professor.
Obama Administration and States in Contention over Transgender Rights
Last night, a federal judge in Texas blocked the Obama administration from enforcing guidelines that extended protections under Title IX to transgender students in public schools.
Defense Secretary Carter Lifts Ban on Transgender Service Members
In a historic decision, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced Thursday that the Pentagon is lifting its discriminatory ban on transgender people serving openly in the United States military.