In a case that is likely to have a significant impact on LGBT rights, the Missouri Supreme Court recently ruled that a discrimination lawsuit initiated by a transgender student in Kansas City is allowed to proceed. Legal action was first brought against the Blue Springs School District in October 2015 after administrators at the school Read More

The US House of Representatives recently passed the Equality Act, which is designed to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination that occurs in housing, public accommodations, the workplace and other arenas. First introduced in 2015, the bill also expands public accommodation protections to include discrimination based on sex as well as strengthens other protections. By expanding Read More

After the San Antonio City Council voted to prohibit the Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant at the city’s airport due to anti-LGBTQ statements and actions made by the company, a number of Texas legislators responded to this decision and claimed that it violated the First Amendment. Response by Texas Legislature In response to the San Antonio Read More

Tennessee recently became the first state in the southern part of the country with an affirmation of transgender protection with regards to hate crime law. The term “transgender” includes individuals who have a gender identity or expression that is different from the gender the person was assigned at birth. How Tennessee Previously Handled Transgender Protection Read More

In February 2018, a jury in Iowa City ruled that an Iowa prison warden had discriminated against a transgender worker by denying the worker the ability to use any of the men’s restrooms or men’s locker rooms at the prison. Jurors in the case also found that the state executive branch had discriminated against the Read More

At the end of January, 2019, the North Dakota senate defeated legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The senator, who was the primary sponsor of the bill, also known as Senate Bill 2303, has said that the measure was created to decrease the rate at which discrimination against LGBTQ individuals occurs in Read More

At the end of January 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States allowed President Trump’s transgender military ban to go into effect, which many LGBT advocates have hailed as a cruel body of regulations. In a 5-to-4 order, the Supreme Court declined to take a stance on the legality of the prohibition, but allowed Read More

In less than a month, courts in Arizona will hear arguments connected to a 2016 lawsuit that challenge a section of Phoenix’s nondiscrimination ordinance that applies to gender identity and sexual orientation. While it remains uncertain how this case will be resolved, it will have a substantial impact on LGBT laws in Arizona and might Read More

A federal appeals court in Washington recently sided with the Trump administration in ruling that restrictions on transgender troops in the military is permitted to stand. Lower court judges had previously blocked Trump’s prohibition from taking effect while the case was appealed. Current Transgender Military Laws In 2017, president Trump announced extensive prohibitions against transgender Read More

The Virginia Supreme Court recently ruled that a transgender inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Petersburg may be entitled to change her name to reflect her identity. In making its decision, the court held that the Petersburg Circuit Court had erred in denying the inmate’s application for a name change without considering the merits. Read More