LGBTQ Legal Issues

Weekly Briefs: Go-between sentenced in law prof’s murder; $4.25B opioid settlement announced

Convicted go-between gets life sentence in law prof’s murder Katherine Magbanua was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for acting as the go-between in the murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel. She also received two consecutive 30-year sentences. Magbanua’s lawyer, Tara Kawass, said her client…

Jul 29, 2022 2:35 PM CDT

Washington Supreme Court justice shows ‘representation does matter’

G. Helen Whitener brings several different perspectives to her work as a state supreme court justice. She is the first Black woman and fourth immigrant-born justice to sit on the Washington Supreme Court. She is the first Black LGBT judge in the state of Washington. She also identifies as an individual with a disability.

Jul 20, 2022 8:42 AM CDT

Federal judge blocks guidance on bathroom, locker room access for transgender students and employees

A federal judge in Tennessee has blocked guidance that says federal bans on sex discrimination protect transgender students and employees who want to use bathrooms and locker rooms and play on sports teams that correspond with their gender identity.

Jul 18, 2022 10:05 AM CDT

Judge blocks no-contact orders against Christian law students who discussed opposition to same-sex marriage

A federal judge has ordered the University of Idaho to rescind no-contact orders against three Christian law students who expressed their views against same-sex marriage at an LGBTQ event and a meeting concerning ABA accreditation.

Jul 7, 2022 12:24 PM CDT

State officials cite Dobbs as reason to support anti-sodomy law, transgender-treatment ban

Some state officials see the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the right to abortion as reason to support measures that would outlaw gay sex and ban medical transitioning treatments for transgender youths.

Jul 1, 2022 10:17 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Transgender students would be covered by Title IX; lawyer’s contempt conviction upheld

Title IX protections would be expanded The Biden administration has proposed changes that would expand protections for sex discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the federal law that applies to schools that receive federal assistance. The changes clarify that protections against discrimination apply to sexual orientation,…

Jun 24, 2022 3:42 PM CDT

Supreme Court is more conservative than most Americans, surveys show

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions have recently become more conservative than the policy preferences of most Americans, according to a series of three surveys taken in 2010, 2020 and 2021.

Jun 9, 2022 1:58 PM CDT

Scott Schoettes has ‘personal stake’ in work for individuals living with HIV/AIDS

In a landmark ruling in April, the Department of Defense was ordered to stop discriminating against people with HIV and permit them to deploy and commission as military officers. Scott Schoettes represented the two plaintiffs who brought the suit, a case with personal meaning for him as an attorney living with HIV.

May 31, 2022 1:12 PM CDT

Weekly Briefs: McDonald’s, Wendy’s sued over burger ads; ICE is ‘a domestic surveillance agency,’ report says

Ads exaggerate size of McDonald’s, Wendy’s burgers, suit says Food stylists for McDonald’s and Wendy’s undercook hamburger patties portrayed in advertising to make them appear 15% to 20% larger than the food sold by the fast-food restaurants, a May 17 lawsuit alleges. The would-be class action suit, filed in Brooklyn,…

May 20, 2022 2:12 PM CDT

Federal judge strikes down sign law requiring transgender bathroom warnings

A federal judge in Nashville, Tennessee, has struck down a state law requiring businesses to post warning signs if they allow transgender people to use restrooms that match their gender identity.

May 19, 2022 1:16 PM CDT

Judge cites challengers’ religious beliefs in blocking transgender health care requirements

A federal judge in North Dakota has blocked the federal government from requiring members of the Christian Employers Alliance to provide health coverage for gender transition services.

May 18, 2022 12:45 PM CDT

Federal judge blocks school from disciplining teacher if she outs transgender students to their parents

A federal judge in Kansas City, Kansas, has temporarily blocked a school district from disciplining a teacher who had religious objections to a policy that prevented her from outing transgender students to their parents.

May 17, 2022 3:04 PM CDT

Top Texas court blocks probe of transgender teen’s parents over medical treatment but won’t go further

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday blocked child welfare officials from investigating lawsuit plaintiffs who provided medical treatments for their transgender child. But the court refused to go further to protect other parents in similar situations while the case continues.

May 16, 2022 10:00 AM CDT

Alito sidesteps question about collegiality during remote appearance at law school

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, author of the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, managed to evade a question about Supreme Court collegiality during a remote law school appearance Thursday.

May 13, 2022 9:32 AM CDT

Legal experts fear loss of abortion right could usher in end of same-sex marriage, other rights

In the two days since Politico published a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that seems to strike down Roe v. Wade, several legal experts have expressed concerns that the same reasoning that eliminates the right to abortion could also put other constitutional rights at risk.

May 4, 2022 4:06 PM CDT