Everyone deserves to be safe, loved, and respected. No matter who you are or how you identify, you have the right to live the life you want to live.
On the first day of his second term, President Trump began to issue a slew of executive actions targeting LGBTQ+ people across the country, specifically trans people – simply for being themselves. And last June, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to trans youth, their families, and the communities that support them.
The U.S. v. Skrmetti decision to allow limits on gender-affirming care is devastating for trans youth who deserve to grow up healthy, supported, and seen. But it is not the end of the road. We can, and must, keep showing up for trans youth in the courts and in our communities.
At the ACLU of New Jersey, we work to ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people across the state can live with dignity and free from discrimination, harassment, or violence.
Since April 2024, we have been urging school districts to continue enforcing state Policy 5756, which provides privacy protections for trans and gender-diverse students under federal and state law. With our partners, we sent letters to 16 school districts across New Jersey urging them to readopt the policy to safeguard the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
Last September, we also filed an amicus brief with our partners in Heaps v. Delaware Valley Regional High School Board of Education, supporting school policies that create learning environments that respect the requested names and pronouns of trans and other gender-diverse students. Young people should feel fully empowered to decide where, when, and with whom they explore and express their gender identity. New Jersey has a responsibility to lead by example and ensure that students in our state feel safe, supported, and respected.
And in coalition with advocates across the state, we supported a bill shielding providers of reproductive health care from prosecution and advocated for specific protections for gender-affirming care and abortion care access. The bill passed in the Assembly and Senate health committees in May. We are working alongside trans rights advocate to get the bill passed and signed into law, because everyone deserves to safely access reproductive health care when they need it.
The ACLU-NJ will continue to fight for inclusive policy change that honors everyone’s freedom to be. Take the pledge today to support trans youth and ensure they can live authentically as themselves.
We also hope you’ll join us for celebrations throughout the summer as we uplift the LGBTQ+ community and Pride events throughout the state:
To learn more about trans rights in New Jersey, check out our Transgender Rights in New Jersey Following Trump's Executive Orders Know Your Rights page.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: everyone deserves the freedom to be exactly who they are.