An American trans boy who went to court because he was not allowed to use the boys’ restroom at school has reached the longest end in a year-long legal battle. The US Supreme Court decided on Monday not to hear his case, leaving the lower court ruling. I agree with Gavin Grimm.
15-year-old Grimm was no longer allowed to use the boys’ restroom at his Virginia school in 2014, but had to go to a gender-neutral toilet. Grimm refused because he found it a disgrace. According to the previous court decision, this violates anti-discrimination laws.
The Supreme Court was supposed to hear the case in 2017, but withdrew after President Trump broke with his predecessor Obama’s policy by curtailing the rights of transgender people again. Obama has asked public schools to allow their students to use restrooms and locker rooms according to their gender. So the Supreme Court has now decided not to hear the case.
Satisfied
“I am delighted that after all these years are over,” Grimm said. He added, “Transgender youth should be able to use toilets safely, without being humiliated and stigmatized by their schools and elected officials.”
Transgender rights are a topic of ongoing debate between progressive and conservative Americans in the United States, with the struggle for access to toilets being one of the most sensitive topics. The ruling in Grimm’s favor comes a year after the US Supreme Court ruled that the law prohibits employers from discriminating against people because of the way they define their gender.
Since then, Grimm has legally changed his gender to male and has undergone several surgeries and years of hormone therapy. Despite the legal amendment, the school still refused to give Grimm a diploma indicating his gender as male, meaning he often had to mention his past as a woman during job interviews, among other things.
