The fight for trans rights is here (and we can win!)

Anti-LGBTQ hate groups are using state legislatures and school boards to codify discrimination against transgender youth into law.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported in their community. But in recent years, far-right conservative and religious groups have been coordinating on new lines of attack in their long-standing campaign against LGBTQ equality. Groups like the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom and others, have all played a part in advancing anti-LGBTQ lawsuits and legislation in states across the country.

In March, 2020, the governor of Idaho became the first to sign into law a ban on transgender women and girls from competing in girls’ sports leagues. Here in Minnesota, the athletic organization USA Powerlifting announced a blanket ban on transgender women athletes in 2019.

These attacks have not stopped. In 2023, over 500 anti-trans bills were introduced across the country with many states passing legislation that bans gender affirming care for minors, limits full participation for trans students at school and in sports, and criminalizes families and providers trying to get young people the time-sensitive care that they need.

Your support of Gender Justice helps to make Minnesota a safe and inclusive state for trans people and their families. This year we:

• Successfully argued in court that the Minnesota Human Rights Act protects trans athletes – In February, a Ramsey County judge granted a summary judgment ruling in favor of our client JayCee Cooper who had been barred from competing in USA Powerlifting after they put in place a blanket ban on transgender women athletes.
• Mobilized hundreds of Minnesotans around the passage of the trans refuge bill. The new law protects families moving from out of state for gender affirming care and the providers that serve them.
• Settled a case against the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) on behalf of our client, Christina Lusk, who faced discrimination for being a transgender woman while incarcerated. The settlement included sweeping DOC policy changes, including a requirement that the DOC will abide by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) standards of care, contract with a WPATH certified health care provider, ensure its staff are trained on providing appropriate care for transgender people, and honor the name changes of incarcerated transgender people.
• Showed up boldly throughout the state to talk to young people and supportive adults about trans students’ rights at school and on the field.

With your support, Gender Justice will continue to take every opportunity to speak out, educate and build public support, and pursue cases that not only protect, but also expand protections for LGBTQ people.

To stay ahead of these attacks we need your support. To give now, click here.

Gender Justice is taking a strategic, multi-pronged approach to fight against this discrimination and protect the rights of transgender people. This includes:

• Bringing cutting edge impact litigation cases to protect and expand transgender rights under state law and drive a public conversation lifting up equity and inclusion over division and hate.
• Educating state and national partners, institutional leaders, and lawmakers around this issue so that they are confident and equipped to forcefully speak out on behalf of transgender rights and liberation.
• Driving the public conversation with values-based messages centering inclusion, fairness, and countering misleading and inflammatory rhetoric used to stigmatize trans people. We are bold and proactive in shaping media coverage of these issues, and we plan to scale up our efforts to engage community members directly so they can confidently engage in personal and public discourse about sports, fairness, and inclusion of transgender athletes.

Join Us

We know what needs to be done now – but we need your help.

Help us reach our $40,000 goal to support this urgent work. Please make a gift and partner with us to reach others who care about this work.

With your support, we can meet the needs of this pivotal moment by increasing our capacity to reach more people, institutions, and leaders. Your dollars will be put to work immediately. Thank you!

If you are interested in learning more, sign up for a trans equity training today!