First in the nation gender-affirming care ban struck down in Arkansas
A federal judge has struck down Arkansas' 2021 ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth calling it unconstitutional and saying the state's experts were motivated by ideology, not science.
How many miles do you have to travel to get abortion care? One professor maps it
An economics professor at Middlebury College and her undergrad research assistants have been tracking access to abortion care since 2009. These maps show the dramatic changes in the past decade.
Does the Americans with Disabilities Act cover gender dysphoria?
The Relist Watch column examines cert petitions that the Supreme Court has “relisted” for its upcoming conference. A short explanation of relists is available here.The Supreme Court will be cons
“Every Body”: New Film Shines Spotlight on Intersex Community’s Fight for Recognition, Bodily Autonomy
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA community, and today we look at those represented by the “I” which stands for “intersex.” In a broadcast exclusive, we are joined by the filmmaker and three stars of a new documentary, Every Body, which follows their work as intersex activists who share childhoods marked by shame, secrecy and nonconsensual surgeries. We speak with actor and screenwriter River Gallo, political consultant Alicia Roth Weigel, scholar Sean Saifa Wall and Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director Julie Cohen, who says she was able to document “a movement that’s in the midst of truly blossoming.” Roth Weigel adds, “There is no one way to look intersex. There is no one way to be intersex,” emphasizing that the movement for informed consent and body autonomy is broad and intersectional. The film will be released in theaters on June 30.
We’ve seen an unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2023, but we refuse to let extremist forces limit our freedoms in schools, in the workplace, in hospitals and in communities. LGBTQ+ people nationwide will not be erased — not now, not ever.
Uncompromised : the Lupe Anguiano story - Nada Prouty
"From humble but proud origins picking fruit with her family to her success in helping thousands of Americans rise out of poverty and the chains of welfare...An American story rich with humor, irony and surprises -- the story of Lupe Anguiano reveals her loves, sacrifices, victories, failures and deepest thoughts. This is the untold personal life story of courage and heroism and a back-stage look at the people and events that define the 20th century. Through her untiring dedication to her beliefs, Lupe was able to realize her most successful achievement... Welfare Reform. She believed that welfare was a trap and disrespectful of women. Lupe gained national media recognition including a feature on "60 Minutes" and received the support of several presidents for her groundbreaking work in welfare reform that spread throughout the United States. Her solution to welfare reform is still relevant today"--Book announcement website
Re-imagining the Notion of "Pride" in the Legal Profession - Slaw
The Path to Pride The year is 2001. The legal profession in Ontario is in disarray after several law students at the University of Toronto’s law school were caught fraudulently altering their grades to secure prestigious Bay Street summer positions. Many of these students were disciplined. Yet, in the eyes of the legal priesthood, this […]
Target removing some Pride merchandise after anti-LGBTQ threats against staff | CNN Business
Target on Wednesday said it was removing some products that celebrate Pride Month after the company and its employes became the focus of a “volatile” anti-LGBTQ campaign.
Horne urges judge to dismiss transgender girls’ bid to void law tied to sports | Arizona Capitol Times
Arizona's school chief is urging a judge to dismiss a bid by two transgender girls to void a new state law that prohibits them from playing on teams designated for girls.
Safiya Noble | Challenging the Algorithms of Oppression
Safiya Noble is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Studies in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. In her P...
Bills dictating school pronoun, bathroom uses sent to Arizona gov
Arizona lawmakers gave final approval Monday to forbidding teachers from calling students by a pronoun that does not match their biological sex at birth, and to requiring schools to create
Majority of Women Lawyers in BigLaw Would NOT Recommend Legal Careers to Their Daughters
According to a recent survey conducted by legal intelligence provider Leopard Solutions, work-life balance remains a significant issue for women lawyers working in BigLaw. The survey, which gathered responses from nearly 200 women attorneys, revealed that over 80% of participants identified better work-life balance as the most compelling reason to leave their BigLaw firms. The […]
Before Lawrence v. Texas : the making of a queer social movement - Wesley G. Phelps
"In Before Lawrence, Wesley Phelps recounts the legal challenges to discriminatory Texas sodomy laws before the major breakthrough in the U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas. While most scholars and activists recognize the Lawrence decision to be the foundation for all subsequent gains for gay and lesbian equality in the twenty-first century, Phelps argues that the earlier legal challenges laid the necessary groundwork for the modern movement for queer civil rights. By probing the fascinating human stories behind these cases, this book offers a rare glimpse into an important component in the movement for gay and lesbian equality and constitutional reform in the United States. The main contribution of the book is to challenge the widely held assumption that the Lawrence v. Texas decision came out of nowhere in 2003. In reality, over several decades grassroots activists had been busy building the organizational groundwork and legal strategies necessary for this final victory over archaic sodomy laws in the United States. In the process, these activists played significant roles in creating and shaping our modern gay and lesbian rights movement"--
Montana governor's nonbinary son urges him to reject anti-transgender bills | CNN
In a front line state in the escalating US culture war over transgender rights, a son made an unsuccessful plea to his powerful father on behalf of the LGBTQ community.
Zooey Zephyr, Montana’s First Trans Lawmaker, Speaks Out After Being Banned & Silenced by Republicans
The Republican-controlled Montana House of Representatives voted Wednesday to censure the state’s first and only openly transgender lawmaker, Zooey Zephyr, banning her from the House floor and forbidding her from speaking, a week after Zephyr delivered a searing condemnation of a bill that would ban gender-affirming healthcare for youth. Zephyr will only be able to cast votes remotely for the remainder of the legislative session. We speak to Zephyr about the spate of anti-trans bills that target trans youth across the country and how “far-right” legislatures like Montana’s are attempting to “silence those who are holding them accountable.”
ACLU sues Montana over censure of trans lawmaker Zooey Zephyr
Zephyr said leaders in the Montana House directly targeted her and her district by not allowing her to speak about bills affecting transgender youths and their families.
Oklahoma governor signs gender-affirming care ban for kids
Oklahoma is the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Monday that makes it a felony for health care workers to provide children with treatments that can include puberty-blocking drugs and hormones. Oklahoma joins at least 15 other states with laws banning such care, as conservatives across the country have targeted transgender rights. Stitt made the ban a priority of this year’s legislative session, saying he wanted to protect children. Transgender advocates and parents of transgender children say such care is essential.
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Law that Bans Critical, Medically Necessary Care for Transgender Youth
The Justice Department today filed a complaint challenging Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a recently enacted law that denies necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are. The complaint alleges that SB 1’s ban on providing certain medically necessary care to transgender minors violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The department is also asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1, 2023.
Montana transgender lawmaker faces censure or expulsion
Montana Republican leaders will vote on censuring or expelling a transgender state lawmaker who has been silenced in the House for comments against a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for children. On Tuesday night, Democratic, Rep. Zooey Zephyr tweeted a letter she received from House leaders informing her of the plan to consider disciplinary action against against her on Wednesday. She says she will be given a chance to speak. A protest against Zephyr being silenced disrupted the House floor session on Monday and she stood defiantly on the floor with her microphone raised. The House won't be disrupted on Wednesday because the gallery will be closed.
House to vote on anti-trans sports bill | CNN Politics
The House is expected to vote Thursday on a GOP-led bill that would ban transgender athletes from women's and girls' sports at federally funded schools and educational institutions.
Transgender girls go to court over Arizona school sports ban
PHOENIX (AP) — The parents of two transgender girls in Arizona filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a year-old state law banning trans girls from participating in school sports. Attorneys for the fa…
Michigan Extends Employment Law Protections to Prohibit Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Although many company equal employment opportunity and no-harassment policies prohibit discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, not all applicable state civil righ