Today, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard vetoed House Bill 1008, a discriminatory bill that would have prevented transgender students from accessing restrooms and single-sex facilities that correspond to their gender identity.
The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (“LGBT”) and people living with HIV are on the line again this year before the United States Supreme Court.
Yesterday, Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Zubik v. Burwell and six related cases urging the Court to reject arguments made by religiously affiliated nonprofit organizations who argue that it burdens their religious beliefs simply to notify the federal government that they are opting out of providing their employees insurance coverage for contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Lambda Legal sent a letter to the Horry County School District today urging school officials to reverse their decision to suspend a transgender student and to adopt inclusive bathroom policies that respect the gender identities of its students and are in line with federal law, after news reports that a transgender student was suspended from Socastee High School for using the bathroom that matches his gender identity.
This year more than ever, transgender people were the focus of media attention. Transition stories and true and fictional narratives about trans lives exploded into the American consciousness like never before. This is a hopeful development.
2015 was a historic year in the fight for equality for LGBT people and those living with HIV, and Lambda Legal led the fight in courts and communities across the country. Here are some of the highlights of Lambda Legal’s work this year:
We are quickly approaching the end of the year and many students are leaving school for winter break. At this time, when many of us are reflecting on the past year and celebrating holidays, we must remember that we still have much work to do to ensure that all students feel safe and respected in their schools. As part of this effort, we must continue to fight the harmful and discriminatory efforts to prevent transgender students from using the bathrooms and locker rooms associated with their gender.
Lambda Legal today submitted comments and suggested changes to New York State’s Division of Human Rights regarding a proposed gender identity nondiscrimination rule, under New York’s Human Rights Law.