ACLU Continues Fight Against Anti-LGBTQ Laws Despite COVID

Gov. Brad Little of Idaho found it more important to sign HB500 into law than focus on COVID-19. If passed into law, the bill would bar any transgender student athletes from playing should the school year start in the fall, or next time students are able to play sports together. However, the ACLU are still fighting as well. Gabriel Arkles, a senior staff attorney at ACLU, told NewNowNext: 

“We will absolutely be arguing that it’s essential because if we don’t get a decision in time for fall sports, that’s going to have a really direct and irreparable impact on trans athletes.”

Unfortunately, HB500 is not the only bill that is going under the radar because of the virus. Hundreds at every level of government and more in Idaho are coming to the surface. HB440 and HB509 have also been introduced, the first completely avoiding trans people in its wording and the latter banning trans people from updating their birth certificates. HB509 directly violates a federal precedent due to a court case involving Lambda Legal and two transgender women denied the right to update their birth certificates.

Above is ACLU of Idaho’s full statement on these bills.

One of the more pressing cases goes all the way to the Supreme Court where Aimee Stephens went because she lost her health insurance when she was fired from her job for being trans.

Aimee Stephens lost her health insurance when she was fired for being trans. She brought her case all the way to the Supreme Court. And when she left the court room, she was greeted by a crowd chanting her name. #TransDayOfVisibility pic.twitter.com/jGKfFKAfwG

— ACLU (@ACLU) March 31, 2020

It is important to be safe in these uncertain times, but just because we aren’t supposed to go outside does not mean you have to cut yourself off from the world. Please do not let your voices go unheard.