Tag: transgender rights

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Gavin Grimm: The Fight For Transgender Rights Is Bigger Than Me

Transgender high school student Gavin Grimm pens an incredibly mature and clear-eyed essay for the New York Times chronicling his two year struggle to be accepted, and the “crazy, stressful, busy, breathtaking, rewarding, beautiful, fantastic” road he’s traveled since challenging the discrimination perpetrated by his school board.

Grimm sums up the journey thusly:

This case will not be resolved until after I graduate. But this fight is bigger than me. I came to realize that very early on, and it is truer now than it ever has been. This fight is for other trans youth in my high school. It is for other trans youth in Virginia. It is for all trans youth who are in school or one day will be. It is for the friends and loved ones of these youth, who want these children to be happy and healthy, rather than at risk and in danger as so many trans people are.

I am often asked if I regret my actions, or if I would do anything differently if I had the chance. When people ask that, I immediately think about the hundreds of parents who have reached out to thank me on behalf of their children. I think of the hundreds of young people who have thanked me themselves. I think of the countless #StandWithGavin messages on social media, and the countless hugs and handshakes at school and on the sidewalks of my town. I think of people I’ve gotten to meet and grown to love. I think of how honored I am to carry the voice, in some way, of a community so rich and so colorful and so important. I think of how I’ve grown from that 15-year-old child, sitting in fear as he waits to hear what his future will be, into the young man who stands hand in hand with a huge community as we all prepare to take the next step in this fight. I think of my parents, unwavering and strong as pillars in my success and growth. And I say, “Absolutely not.”

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States announced it will not hear Gavin’s case this term, sending the case back to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in the wake of the Trump Administration’s revocation of school guidance ensuring the protection and dignity of transgender students.

#NotTheEnd

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High School Wrestling Champ Mack Beggs On Challenges Of Being Transgender

Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old transgender high school wrestler in Texas who is transitioning to male, talks with ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” about the challenges he has faced in his controversial run to a girls’ wrestling state title.

For all the folks who have accused Beggs of “cheating” because he is on testosterone, the high schooler acknowledges he told his doctor he only wants to take the smallest dose he can and still transition. By staying under a 6 to 1 ratio with his testosterone, the state of Texas technically doesn’t view his medications as “steroids.”

Beggs also shares some of his darker moments like in 7th grade when he was referred to as “fag” or “it” in school.

I think Beggs is terrifically mature and thoughtful here. Very good interview for folks to see when it comes to the realities of trans youth.

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Transgender Rights Case Scrapped At SCOTUS

Gavin Grimm

There will be no historic ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on transgender rights. At least not this year.

From Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade:

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday scrapped consideration of the case filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of transgender student Gavin Grimm, who’s seeking to use the boys’ room in Virginia schoool consistent with his gender identity.

In a notice of the court, justices grant summary disposition in the case, remanding it to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for reconsideration in the aftermath of the Trump administration revocation of Obama-era guidance assuring transgender students can use the restroom consistent with their gender identity.

The 4th Circuit Court based it’s ruling in great part on the Obama-era guidance. In the aftermath of the Trump administration’s decision to rescind those guidelines, the ruling falls apart.

#ThanksTrump

Important to note: SCOTUS decided to “vacate” the case. Had the 8 justices simply decided to not take the case, Grimm’s win at the lower court would have stood. “Vacating” sends the case back to the appeals court to start all over again.

GLSEN issued this statement:

“The Supreme Court has missed an opportunity to end the painful discrimination currently faced by tens of thousands of transgender students nationwide,” said Dr. Eliza Byard, GLSEN Executive Director in response to SCOTUS’ decision to decline to hear the case of transgender student Gavin Grimm, instead referring it back to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

“The position previously taken by the Departments of Education and Justice lifted up best practices for K-12 schools to improve the lives of students and provide a clear path to opportunity. We remain confident the courts will ultimately stand with Gavin and other transgender students in seeking access to school facilities that correspond with their gender identity and determining their gender-affirming name and pronouns, but in the meantime trans students are left without clear protections from our Federal government while the case is reheard.

“Additionally, the federal government continues to backtrack on their commitment to supporting transgender students, making it more important than ever that educators, schools, school districts, and state governments make explicitly clear their support through inclusive school values statements and comprehensive policies.”

From Joshua Block, the lead ACLU attorney representing Gavin Grimm:

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Matt Baume On Exactly WHO So-Called “Bathroom Bills” Actually Protect

Matt Baume

Super-smart guy Matt Baume has looked at the data, and he concluded: so-called “bathroom bills” do protect people – just not the ones they say.

What’s the REAL reason for “bathroom bans”? Those are laws that prevent transgender people from using the bathroom unless it matches their birth certificate. The politicians pushing them claim that they just want to protect people. And they’re right — stopping trans people from using the bathroom will protect people. But not the people they say.

Watch Baume break down the stats for you below:

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Teen Transgender Student: “I Should Be Able To Use The Boys Room” Like My Peers

From CNN:

Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old transgender student, was barred from using the boys’ bathroom at his Virginia high school.

Grimm is the plaintiff in a lawsuit that the Supreme Court is set to hear next month.

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Laverne Cox Kills On MSNBC Talking Trump’s Shift On Trans Student Protections

Transgender actress Laverne Cox absolutely rocked her appearance tonight on MSNBC’s Hardball.

We already knew she is an outstanding advocate for the trans community, and her calm, collected and reasoned appearance here underlines that.

I’d break it down for you, but to be honest, it really just needs to be seen.

Bravo, Laverne!

p.s. note how Travis Weber, representing the ironically named Center for Religious Liberty, never – never – answers Matthews’ question about which bathroom Laverne should use. #coward

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National Education Association Responds To Trump Administration Rolling Back Transgender Protections

Lily Eskelsen García, president of The National Education Association, which is represents more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, issued this statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to rescind guidance protecting transgender students’ use of public bathrooms in schools:

Every student matters, and every student has the right to feel safe, welcomed, and valued in our public schools. This is our legal, ethical and moral obligation. The Trump administration’s plans to reverse protections for transgender students by rescinding the Title IX guidance, is dangerous, ill-advised, and unnecessary.

We reject this discriminatory plan because it is a drastic departure from our core values. We don’t teach hate, we do not tell people how to pray, and we do not discriminate against people based on their religion, gender, or identity. Period.

As the Trump administration threatens our students and our values, we will double-down on our efforts to protect our most vulnerable citizens, including our LGBTQ students and members. We urge more states, school districts, and schools to adopt protections for transgender students. We owe to our students because they need to see us take a bold stand against discrimination whatever form it takes.

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White House On Transgender Protections: “This Is A States’ Rights Issue”

Yesterday, I posted about a possible change in direction from the Federal government regarding the rights of transgender students to use public bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Today, The Washington Blade’s White House correspondent, Chris Johnson, asked White House press secretary Sean Spicer if the Trump administration would rescind Obama era guidance on the issue.

Spicer told reporters, “The president has maintained for a long time that this is a states’ rights issue, and not one for the federal government.”

So, somehow, whether or not you can use the bathroom you identify with depends on what state you live in?

Spicer also said there would be weighing in further with new guidance on the issue as well as “the case that’s in front of the Supreme Court,” referring to transgender Virginia student, Gavin Grimm.

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Laverne Cox Puts Upcoming SCOTUS/Transgender Rights Case In Grammy Spotlight

Laverne Cox

Out transgender actress Laverne Cox, of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black and the upcoming Doubt on CBS, had the LGBT moment of the Grammy Awards last night when she used her time center stage to bring attention to transgender high school student Gavin Grimm and his fight for equal rights that is headed to the Supreme Court.

Before introducing Lady Gaga and Metallica, Cox told the audience, “Please Google Gavin Grimm. He’s going to the Supreme Court in March. #StandWithGavin.”

Grimm is the 17-year-old student whose fight for the right to use a bathroom that matches his gender identity at his local Virginia school district has garnered headlines in the national LGBT press.

More about Gavin’s case from the ACLU:

Gavin is a 17-year-old boy. But because he is transgender, his school board passed a policy barring him from sharing facilities with the rest of his peers. Rather than use the boys’ restroom that all other boys use, Gavin is forced into a converted utility closet or another, separate, stigmatized space every time he needs to use the restroom during the day.

Gavin’s case will go before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 28th.

According to the Washington Post, Grimm had no idea Cox was going to bring up his case:

Grimm, now 17 and a high school senior, said Sunday night that he had no idea Cox was going to mention his name and was not watching the Grammys. But his mother Deirdre was in another room, and Grimm found out only when she “started shrieking.”

“I was just so thrilled because I love her. She’s just a beautiful person inside and out,” Grimm said. “I was really touched and thrilled and honored that that was the first thing out of her mouth.”

Grimm, once painfully shy, has become the unlikely standard-bearer for transgender student rights.

“At this point, that’s the role I occupy and I want to make sure I’m using that platform for positive,” Grimm said. “I definitely didn’t set out at the beginning wanting to or expecting to shouted on the Grammys.”

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News Round-Up: February 6, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• It’s a grey day here in Las Vegas, but Eliad Cohen and friends have clearly found the sun in Playa del Carmen.

• White House press secretary Sean Spicer thinks Melissa McCarthy’s impression of him this past weekend on “Saturday Night Live” was a little over the top. Missing the point there, Sparky. Satire works best when it’s “over the top.”

• According to the New York Times, President Trump often spends evenings watching cable news shows in his bathrobe, and wandering around his new abode.

• Last night’s historic overtime Super Bowl game pulled in 113.7 million viewers.

• The U.S. Supreme Court will hear transgender student Gavin Grimm’s case on March 28.

• Elton John says Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl performance was “the most spectacular performance ever seen during Super Bowl half time.” Watch the video below if you missed it!