Women’s and Civil Rights Groups, Athletes, Coaches, Corporations, and Legal and Medical Experts Tell Federal Appeals Court to Strike Down Idaho Anti-Trans Law

BOISE, Idaho — Hundreds of athletes, coaches, and businesses, as well as civil rights, legal, and medical experts submitted friend-of-the-court briefs with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today in Hecox v. Little.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a student at Boise State University who is transgender and had been planning to try out for the cross-country team, and Jane Doe, a senior at Boise High School who is cisgender and concerned about being subjected to the law’s invasive “sex verification” testing. In August, a federal judge blocked Idaho’s law, HB 500, which targeted student athletes who are transgender and many who are intersex and harmed all women and girls in Idaho.

The briefs filed before the court today include:

• Over 60 women’s rights and civil rights groups, including the National Women’s Law Center;
• Over 175 athletes in women’s sports led by the Women’s Sports Foundation and Athlete Ally and signed by Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe, and Candace Parker;
• Three former Idaho Attorneys General;
• Businesses including Nike, Inc., Altria Group, Inc., The Burton Corporation, Amalgamated Bank, Asana, Ben & Jerry’s, and Lush Cosmetics;
• interACT;
• Coaches and administrators;
• The American Medical Association and other leading medical and mental health associations; and
• Transgender athletes.

“I love running, and part of what I enjoy about the sport is building relationships with a team. I’m a girl, and the right team for me is the girls’ team,” said Lindsay Hecox. “It means a lot to me that so many people are on my side and supporting me.”

The court has not yet set a date for oral argument.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Idaho, Legal Voice, and Cooley LLP. Arnold & Porter filed an amicus on behalf of the corporate signatories.

Legal documents are available here: https://www.aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little. Additional briefs will be added as they are filed.

Legal Voice is a progressive feminist organization using the power of the law to make positive change for women, girls, and LGBTQ people in the Northwest. Legal Voice uses ground-breaking litigation, legislative advocacy, and community education to fight gender oppression and injustice. More at legalvoice.org.

The ACLU of Idaho is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Idaho strives to advance civil liberties and civil rights through activities that include litigation, education, and lobbying. Learn more at acluidaho.org.