Teen at centre of key trans lawsuit to represent ACLU at NYC Pride
A teen at the centre of a key lawsuit challenging school bathroom policies for trans students will march at NYC Pride for the ACLU.
Gavin Grimm will represent the ACLU at NYC Pride on 25 June.
The 17-year-old earlier this year found out he will not get an expedited decision in his lawsuit before he graduates in the autumn.
The US Supreme Court in March said it had decided not to go ahead with a hearing in Grimm’s case which challenged his school after he was forced to use a girl’s bathroom.
But Grimm will get to march and represent the ALCU at NYC Pride, the organisation’s director Julian Sanjivan confirmed this week.
The ACLU and three individuals have been named as grand marshals of the parade.
In early March it was announced that the Supreme Court would not go ahead with the planned hearing on transgender rights, in light of the Trump administration’s removal of key protections.
The highest court in the US had been set to hear the case of Virginian teen Grimm, whose school ordered him to use a toilet that correspond with his “biological gender”.
Grimm is suing the Gloucester County School Board with help from the American Civil Liberties Union, arguing that the policy violated his right to freedom from discrimination.
But the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals last month rejected a request from Grimm’s attorneys asking for a May hearing in order to achieve a ruling before the teenager graduates.
The teen appeared at the US Congress earlier this yearGr, taking aim at President Trump, and his administration, for a policy which rolled back guidance in favour of trans teens introduced under the Obama administration.
Invited by House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Grimm said: “The guidance had a very simple message: treat trans students with dignity and respect them for who they are,” Grimm told the congressional panel on Thursday.
“The decision to withdraw the guidance sent a terrible message to some of the most vulnerable people,” Grimm added.
“That President Trump — the leader of our country — and his administration do not care about protecting you from discrimination.”
Saying he was “so disappointed” in the decision to roll back the guidance, the 17-year-old said: “Actions speak far louder than words, and the message sent with this action could not have been more damaging for trans youth.”
The case was thrown into disarray after the Trump administration acted to withdraw the transgender protections the case partly relied on.
The case had hinged on the Obama administration’s guidance extending Title IX civil rights protections to outlaw discrimination based on gender identity.
However, after the Trump administration withdrew the protections, the Supreme Court opted to send the case back to the lower court.
In a notice, the justices sent the case back to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for reconsideration following the federal government’s policy change.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer previously hinted the administration had sought to send a message to the Supreme Court by yanking the protections.
He said: “The guidance [the administration] puts forward obviously sends a signal to the Court on where the administration stands on this issue.”
Grimm earlier this year was named by TIME Magazine in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
