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Department of Justice Says Laws Targeting Trans Youth are Unconstitutional

Case: B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education
June 17, 2021 3:45 pm
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WASHINGTON — Chase Strangio, deputy director for Trans Justice with the American Civil Liberties Union LGBTQ & HIV Project, issued the following statement responding to the Department of Justice submitting a statement of interest in two federal courts supporting transgender youth:

“Today’s filings from the Department of Justice send a powerful message that discrimination against transgender youth is not just wrong, it is also plainly unconstitutional. These filings from the Department of Justice confirm what we have been telling legislatures all year: Banning trans youth from sports and denying trans youth health care violates the Constitution and federal law. We hope that state legislatures finally get the message.”

The statements of interest were filled in ACLU challenges to an Arkansas law that bans gender-affirming care for transgender youth and a West Virginia law banning transgender youth from participating in school sports.

Photo of Becky, a white girl with blonde hair wearing clear-framed glasses and a tie-dyed rainbow t-shirt.

B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education

Becky is a middle school student in West Virginia. She has been a cheerleader and wants the opportunity to try out for the cross-country team. A new law in West Virginia would ban her from doing so because she is transgender. Becky and her parents sued and are represented by the ACLU, the ACLU of West Virginia, Lambda Legal and Cooley LLP.

Source: American Civil Liberties Union