• Supreme Court rejects appeal to reinstate Virginia school's transgender bathroom ban

    Supreme Court rejects appeal to reinstate Virginia school's transgender bathroom ban

    Jun 28, 2021 05:55 PM EST

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a Virginia school board's appeal to reinstate its transgender bathroom ban. Over two dissenting votes, the justices left in place lower court rulings that found the policy unconstitutional. The case involved former high school student Gavin Grimm, who filed a federal ...

  • Louisiana governor vetoes transgender sports ban proposal

    Louisiana governor vetoes transgender sports ban proposal

    Jun 22, 2021 10:56 PM EST

    ... Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Proponents in Louisiana pointed to the state of Connecticut, where they said two transgender females participating in women's track events broke 15 records. They suggested transgender athletes have an automatic, built-in advantage in competitions against other ...

  • Department of Justice says West Virginia, Arkansas transgender bans violate federal law

    Department of Justice says West Virginia, Arkansas transgender bans violate federal law

    Jun 17, 2021 07:54 PM EST

    ... in April. The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, which oversees scholastic sports, said earlier this year that it had not received any complaints about transgender athletes on girls teams. Several Democrats said the bill was discriminatory, but supporters have argued that transgender athletes would have physical advantages in female ...

  • Biden admin extends Title IX protections to transgender students

    Biden admin extends Title IX protections to transgender students

    Jun 16, 2021 08:09 PM EST

    ... discrimination in schools, and a safe learning environment," he said in a statement. The decision reverses Trump-era policies that removed civil rights protections for transgender students. In 2017, the Trump administration lifted Obama-era guidance allowing transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities ...

  • WATCH: 'Transgender rights are human rights," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says

    WATCH: 'Transgender rights are human rights," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says

    Jun 09, 2021 05:41 PM EST

    Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he is proud to call the LGBTQ members of the Armed forces his "teammates" every month. Austin's comments came during a speech to mark the 10th Annual LGBT Pride Month Celebration at the Pentagon

  • Tennessee governor approves transgender youth treatment ban

    Tennessee governor approves transgender youth treatment ban

    May 19, 2021 08:03 PM EST

    ... bathroom use by transgender people signed in any state in about five years, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Additionally this year, Lee approved banning transgender athletes from playing girls public high school sports or middle school sports after declaring that allowing transgender girls to participate would "destroy women’s ...

  • U.S. restores transgender health protections, reversing Trump policy

    U.S. restores transgender health protections, reversing Trump policy

    May 10, 2021 01:49 PM EST

    ... care. The action by the Department of Health and Human Services affirms that federal laws forbidding sex discrimination in health care also protect gay and transgender people. The Trump administration had defined “sex” to mean gender assigned at birth, thereby excluding transgender people from the law's umbrella of protection ...

  • West Virginia transgender athlete bill signed by governor

    West Virginia transgender athlete bill signed by governor

    Apr 28, 2021 11:02 PM EST

    ... have argued that transgender athletes would have physical advantages in female sports. The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission has not received any complaints about transgender athletes on girls teams. SSAC Executive Director Bernie Dolan has said the SSAC is unaware of openly transgender students participating in scholastic sports currently ...

  • No major backlash for states passing anti-transgender laws

    No major backlash for states passing anti-transgender laws

    Apr 27, 2021 05:42 PM EST

    ... chambers of commerce in the state denouncing a batch of pending bills as “divisive, unnecessary and economically dangerous.” Specifically, the letter denounced “efforts to exclude transgender youth from full participation in their communities.” In Montana, where a transgender sports ban has won initial approval in the Republican-controlled House and ...

  • Kansas governor vetoes ban for transgender school athletes

    Kansas governor vetoes ban for transgender school athletes

    Apr 22, 2021 07:02 PM EST

    ... to cite local examples of problems. The association overseeing extracurricular activities in Kansas K-12 schools says it has been notified of only five active transgender participants in extracurricular activities, and there is no known case of a transgender athlete having won a Kansas championship. LGBTQ rights advocates argued that ...