Transgender symbol icon

Transgender Rights

All people have a right to be who they are, and to live a life free from discrimination. Yet in housing, employment, and public places— including restrooms— in Washington, transgender and non-binary people are unfairly targeted, excluded, and harassed. The ACLU of Washington works to ensure that transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming people have the same rights as everyone else. We’re fighting illegal discrimination wherever it exists, ensuring transgender people have access to the health care they need, helping to remove obstacles to obtaining legal name changes and gender marker changes on identification documents, and fighting for the rights of transgender parents.

Resources

News Release, Published: 
Friday, July 2, 2010
  Racial, ethnic, disability, sexual orientation, and other kinds of discrimination remains a pervasive problem in Washington schools. Discrimination shows up in a variety of forms, among them harassment, disparate discipline including suspensions and expulsions, over-referral to special education, and under-inclusion in advanced-placement classes. Such discrimination contributes to lower achievement and higher dropout rates among student populations.   Originally published in the Summer 2010 issue of the WSBA Civil Rights Newsletter. 
News Release, Published: 
Friday, November 20, 2009
Mount Vernon High School has opened its formerly all-female cheerleading squad to all students, regardless of gender, after the ACLU intervened on behalf of a male transgender student who was denied a full opportunity to participate.
News Release, Published: 
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) has the same free speech rights as other student clubs at Federal Way High School, thanks to action by the ACLU. In March school officials notified the GSA that a student government vote against the club will not be grounds for denying it equal access to school resources.
News Release, Published: 
Monday, November 2, 2009
Responding to problems faced by students in several schools, the American Civil Liberties Union is advising school officials statewide that their existing rules for student-organized clubs may discriminate against some student organizations. In a letter sent to school districts throughout Washington, the ACLU explained that federal law makes it clear that student clubs promoting tolerance for gay students are entitled to the same resources as other clubs.

Pages