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state neWs
Federal laWsuIt FIled agaInst FlorIda’s antI-trans sports Ban
Ryan Williams-Jent
BrowArd County, FlA.
| The Human Rights Campaign filed a federal lawsuit June 30 against Florida’s law targeting transgender youth.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the anti-LGBTQ Senate Bill 1028 (SB 1028) into law June 1, banning the vulnerable population from playing sports that align with their gender identity. The lawsuit was filed by the HRC Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ-focused civil rights organization, on behalf of a 13-year-old student identified as Daisy and her parents, Jessica and Gary N. It describes Daisy as “a rising eighth grader at a middle school in Broward County” who plays sports and “is passionate about soccer.”
DeSantis is named as the lawsuit’s first defendant. The Florida High School Athletic Association, Broward County School Board, Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, Florida State Board of Education and Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran join the governor.
“Given the unprecedented onslaught of state legislative attacks, we have a responsibility to utilize every tool in our belt to safeguard the LGBTQ community, including suing the states that infringe upon our civil rights,” HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement. “On the first day of Pride Month, a moment of celebration, Governor DeSantis signed a bill into law attacking transgender children – now, on the last day of Pride, we are sending a message to him, and all anti-equality officials, that you cannot target our community without retribution.”
The litigation follows action from D.C. On June 16, President Joe Biden’s administration declared that discrimination against LGBTQ students is illegal under federal law. The Education Department shared it would enforce Title IX – which bars discrimination on the basis of sex in schools – to prohibit it on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization welcomed the president’s support that day. “Florida’s Republican leadership repeatedly ignored warnings that their unnecessary and cruel transgender youth sports ban violates Title IX,” they shared.
“For nearly a decade Florida has had clear guidelines on transgender student athlete participation that worked,” they continued. “Bill sponsors could not identify a single issue in Florida under those policies. Republican leadership relied on fear and ignorance to manipulate the legislative process and rush through a bill that pandered to extremists in their base for votes.”
The organization further noted that transgender youth “deserve the same opportunities as any other student.”
That includes students like Daisy, HRC stressed. After filing their lawsuit, the organization noted she “has only participated on girls’ sports teams; while some of her teammates and coaches are aware of her transgender identity, others are not. She has enjoyed a supportive school and team environment and continues to play without incident with other teammates, opposing players and coaches or parents of other student athletes.” “Playing sports makes me feel like I fit in, the thought of not being able to play next year scares me,” Daisy shared in the release. “I’m going to be lonely and sad if I can’t play.” Equality Florida quickly applauded HRC’s efforts. “We cannot sit idly by as Republican legislatures make transgender youth the newest target of a campaign of hate and ignorance,” Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer said. “Equality Florida stands with our partners challenging the cruel and unnecessary transgender youth sports ban in Florida and elsewhere,” he continued. “Transgender youth are some of the most at-risk in our community and we will never stop fighting for them.” HRC announced it will file other legal challenges across the country to fight similar anti-LGBTQ laws.
Learn more about and support the efforts of both HRC and Equality Florida at HRC.org and EQFL.org.
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SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 | 12-4PM
