LGBTQ Legal Issues

Transgender teacher likely to fail in First Amendment challenge to Florida pronouns law, 11th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled against a teacher who challenged a Florida law barring K-12 public school employees from communicating their preferred pronouns to students in the classroom if they don’t comport with their sex assigned at birth.

Jul 7, 2025 11:40 AM CDT

Supreme Court to review bans on trans athletes in female sports

The Supreme Court announced Thursday that it will take up a pair of cases next term dealing with the contentious issue of transgender athletes competing in school sports.

Jul 3, 2025 9:31 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: Supreme Court’s term was all about taking sides on the ideological divide

The court’s October 2024 term, which ended June 27, presented a number of cases that posed politically controversial issues concerning the aspects of the culture wars and challenges to the actions of President Donald Trump.

Jul 2, 2025 9:00 AM CDT

SCOTUS rules for parents with religious objections to LGBTQ storybooks in schools

Parents with religious objections to LGBTQ-inclusive storybooks in public schools are likely to succeed on their constitutional claim that the school board must give them an opt-out option, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision Friday.

Jun 27, 2025 10:29 AM CDT

Barrett belies claims of leftward drift as Supreme Court upholds ban on some medical treatments for trans minors

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Wednesday that Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors does not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Jun 18, 2025 10:04 AM CDT

Transgender lawyers are resilient, but level of fear is real, says business consultant and coach

While June is Pride Month, Dru Levasseur, a transgender attorney, thinks it’s a somber time for the trans and nonbinary community.

Jun 12, 2025 3:03 PM CDT

Straight white woman doesn’t have to present special evidence to sue under Title VII, Supreme Court rules

A straight white woman does not have to clear a higher hurdle to bring a reverse bias claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday.

Jun 5, 2025 11:22 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS takes on multiple challenges to executive orders from Trump administration

The first four months of Donald Trump’s second term as president have been unlike anything in American history with the issuance of a large number of executive orders, many of which are of dubious constitutionality and legality.

Jun 4, 2025 12:13 PM CDT

Bryanna Jenkins advocates for the Black transgender community

“I saw law school as the natural next step after my organizing and activism work,” says ABA member Bryanna Jenkins, who graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in 2019. “I wanted to figure out how I could use the law as a tool to push forward my agendas for helping the trans community and helping Black folks.”

Jun 1, 2025 12:40 AM CDT

Florida law with ‘Goldilocks’ approach to banning minors at drag shows is overbroad, 11th Circuit says

A Florida law that bans admission of minors to live performances depicting “lewd conduct” is likely unconstitutional because it provides only “vague guidance” on prohibited conduct, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Atlanta ruled Tuesday.

May 16, 2025 9:18 AM CDT

Supreme Court allows ban on transgender troops to take effect

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender troops while a legal challenge continues.

May 6, 2025 3:14 PM CDT

Boutique law firm is talent pipeline for conservative lawyers

A boutique law firm in Washington, D.C., is advancing conservative causes by filing legal challenges to liberal policies, such as corporate diversity programs, environmental regulations and job protections for transgender people.

May 1, 2025 2:08 PM CDT

Supreme Court majority appears to side with parents who object to instruction using LGBTQ storybooks

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to rule for parents who argue that they have a right to exclude their children from school lessons involving storybooks with LGBTQ characters and themes, according to publications that covered the oral arguments.

Apr 22, 2025 3:19 PM CDT

Supreme Court will consider scope of Sixth Amendment right to counsel during trial recess

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a criminal defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel was violated when a judge banned him from discussing his ongoing testimony when meeting with his lawyers during an overnight trial recess.

Apr 15, 2025 2:37 PM CDT

Helping people feel safe is a primary goal of lawyer Chase Strangio

Chase Strangio, co-director of the LGBTQ & HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, stresses the importance of remaining hopeful, even if the legal landscape for transgender rights seems bleaker right now than it has in years past. “I’m very committed to moving us out of a space of chaos, catastrophe and fear, and moving us to a place of possibility and grounded connection,” says Strangio.

Apr 1, 2025 1:30 AM CDT