It’s A Win For Transgender Activist, Gavin Grimm
Fighting the good fight since 2015.
Let’s get political. If you’re active in the LGBTQ+ community, you might have already heard of Gavin Grimm, a transgender man, and student. Gavin has been making rounds in the news in recent years, due to his long-standing legal battle with the Gloucester Country School Board. As a Sophomore in 2015, he sued the institution for barring him access to the male’s bathroom, despite the fact, he lives and identifies as a man. This kind of discrimination is a prominent, political issue in the transgender community, and Gavin Grimm’s case isn’t the first or last of its sort. However, if there’s one thing to take away from his case, it’s to stand strong in the face of oppression, because, spoiler alert…HE WON.
This is an incredible feat for both Gavin, and other young, transgender students facing discrimination as a result of unfounded fear and misjudgment. It is an especially monumental victory, given the current political climate of America (cough, Trump, cough). Case and point, Gavin’s case reached the Supreme Court in 2017, however, was sent back to lower courts due to Trump reversing an administrative rule put in place by Obama, that protected transgender students from such discrimination under Title IX. The case was subsequently sent back to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of Grimm (2-1), and reached the verdict that banning a transgender student (Gavin) from accessing a bathroom that corresponds with his gender-identity, is unconstitutional, and is, in fact, a breach of Title IX. The win came this Wednesday (August 26), and Gavin was quick to write a heartfelt, poignant statement of thanks to his supporters, upon receiving the news.
The non-profit organization, ACLU of Virginia (American Civil Liberties Union), took to Twitter to share their support for client Gavin, with the powerful sentiment, “This has never been about bathrooms. It's about trans people's right to live with dignity & respect.”
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