Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (23 Articles with 78,718 total views)
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.
October, 2023
Lambda Legal and TLDEF Urge Fourth Circuit to Uphold Rulings Protecting Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender People in North Carolina and West Virginia
(RICHMOND, VA - Thursday, Sept 21) -- Today, a full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard arguments in two cases involving equal access to health care for transgender people. State officials in North Carolina and West Virginia previously appealed to the Fourth Circuit victories secured by Lambda Legal and co-counsel that found the states' denial of gender-affirming care to be discriminatory and unconstitutional.
February, 2023
Lambda Legal to 4th Circuit: Affirm Lower Court Ruling Striking North Carolina's Discriminatory Transgender Health Care Ban for Transgender State Employees
(Richmond, V.A. - Wednesday, January 25) Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard oral arguments in an appeal brought by the North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell and the Executive Administrator of the North Carolina State Health Plan (NCSHP) asking the court to reverse a lower court decision finding that the State violated the rights of transgender state employees by categorically excluding transgender health care coverage from the state employee health plan.
April, 2022
Transgender Alabamians Tell Federal Appeals Court Lack of Accurate IDs Puts Their Lives at Risk
ATLANTA - March 15, 2022 - A federal appeals court has for the first time heard arguments in a case involving accurate gender markers on IDs for transgender people. In 2021, a federal appeals court ruled it was unconstitutional for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to deny three transgender women - Darcy Corbitt, Destiny Clark, and an unnamed plaintiff - accurate IDs because of a requirement to provide proof of specific medical interventions.
September, 2021
VICTORY! Fourth Circuit Rules North Carolina Can Be Sued for Violating the Affordable Care Act Over Discriminatory Anti-Transgender State Employee Health Care P
(ATLANTA, GA - September 1, 2021) - Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld a district court ruling determining that the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and Employees, a state entity, could be sued under the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act for denying comprehensive gender-affirming health care coverage.
June, 2019
Pennsylvania Name Change Law Challenged on Behalf of Three Transgender Women - TLDEF Applauds Action by Attorneys from Reed Smith
NEW YORK, NY - May 29, 2019 - Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) Pro Bono partner Reed Smith today filed a court challenge to Pennsylvania's name change law, which bars name changes for people who have certain felony convictions. The case was brought on behalf of three transgender women who live openly in accordance with their female gender but are being forced to use male legal names because they were convicted of felonies years ago. Attorneys at Reed Smith became aware of the need to bring this challenge after prior clients referred by TLDEF were denied name changes under the unjust law.
December, 2016
Statement from TLDEF Executive Director Jillian Weiss on the Presidential Election: Resilience
New York, New York--November 11, 2016 - This is the first Veterans' Day on which transgender service members serve openly, recognized by our government for their authentic selves and honored in the open, rather than in the shadows. We thank all transgender military personnel for their service to our country and our community. You have built -- along with our allies who serve at your side -- upon the strong foundation that countless veterans forged over decades of advocacy and vigilance, showing us as a nation that change, in even the most conservative of institutions, is possible if we keep speaking out.
June, 2016
TLDEF Applauds Obama Administration for Directing Schools to Allow Transgender Students to Use Appropriate Bathrooms
New York, NY - May 13, 2016 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) applauds the Obama Administration for issuing a directive to all public schools in the nation stating they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match who they are as boys and girls.
January, 2016
Victory! Transgender Man Wins Health Insurance Coverage for Gender Transition
New York, NY - December 21, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) has secured insurance coverage for a transgender man's medically necessary care after his union-sponsored health insurance plan refused to cover it. Adrian Sealy works in a Rochester, NY hospital as a cleaning and sanitation specialist. He is a member of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation's largest union for health care workers. The union is self-insured for its workers' health care.
September, 2015
TLDEF Applauds Obama Administration for Efforts to Ban Transgender Health Care Discrimination Across U.S.
New York, NY - September 3, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) applauds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) proposed regulation to prohibit health care discrimination against transgender Americans. If adopted, the Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities rule would prohibit discrimination against transgender people in all health care facilities that receive HHS funds and ban the widespread insurance industry practice of excluding coverage for transgender health care in all plans sold by insurance companies that participate in health insurance exchanges. It would also require all state Medicaid plans to cover transgender health care. The rule is designed to implement the Affordable Care Act's non-discrimination provision, Section 1557.
August, 2015
TLDEF Challenges Discriminatory Health Insurance Coverage Denial
New York, NY- July 28, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) has demanded that Aetna Life Insurance Company reverse its decision to deny coverage for a Colorado transgender woman's medically necessary gender reassignment surgery. The coverage denial violates Colorado law, which requires companies to cover medically necessary care for transgender policyholders on the same terms as all other policyholders.
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund Responds to Pentagon Plan to End Transgender Military Ban
New York, NY -July 14, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) today welcomed the Department of Defense's announcement that it is taking steps to lift the ban on open transgender military service. In announcing the formation of a six-month working group to study the "policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter acknowledged that transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines "are being hurt by an outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that's contrary to our value of service and individual merit." In addition to forming the working group, the Secretary has moved to immediately limit discharges by elevating all discharge decisions impacting transgender service members to Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson.
Victory! Transgender Women Prevail as WV Division of Motor Vehicles Changes License Policy In Face of TLDEF Lawsuit
New York, NY - July 7, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) celebrates news that the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles has changed its license photo policy to allow transgender individuals to be photographed as they regularly appear. The new policy comes in response to TLDEF's threat of litigation on behalf of a group of transgender women who were told by the DMV that they would not receive driver's licenses unless they changed their regular appearance to try to look male in their license photos.
July, 2015
TLDEF Applauds New York on Continued Efforts to Improve Transgender Health Care
New York, NY - July 1, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund applauds New York State for continuing the expansion of transgender health care in its Medicaid program. New policy guidance clarifies that medically necessary care affecting an individual's appearance must be covered. Such care, which includes facial reconstructive surgery, hair transplantation, electrolysis, and other procedures affecting appearance, is often excluded from health insurance coverage as "cosmetic." But for many transgender people, such care is medically necessary for the treatment of gender dysphoria, the diagnostic term used to refer to discomfort or distress caused by a difference between a person's gender identity and their sex assigned at birth.
TLDEF Celebrates Historic U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Extending Marriage Protections to LGBT Couples Nationwide
New York, NY - June 26, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) joins millions of advocates across the nation in applauding the United States Supreme Court's landmark ruling extending the freedom to marry throughout the nation. The decision will improve the lives of tens of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families who have experienced tremendous hardship as a result of discriminatory restrictions on the freedom to marry.
TLDEF Denounces New York State Senate's Failure to Pass Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA)
New York, NY - June 25, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) denounces the New York State Senate's failure to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. The bill would have added transgender people to New York's hate crimes law and protected them from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The bill was not brought up for a vote before the legislative session came to a close today, ending its chances for passage this session. The legislation has passed the New York State Assembly 8 times since it was first introduced 12 years ago, but the Senate has never voted on it. Governor Andrew Cuomo has voiced support for GENDA and promised to sign it into law if it ultimately passes.
TLDEF Responds to New Guidance Impacting Transgender Immigrants
New York, NY - June 29, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund responded to news that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued new guidance on the treatment of transgender immigrants who are held in its detention centers. The guidance sets forth practices for identifying transgender detainees, processing them, and holding them in ICE detention centers.
May, 2015
Settlement Reached in Landmark Federal Lawsuit Against SC DMV on Behalf of Transgender Teen Forced to Remove Makeup for
New York, NY - April 22, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) announces a settlement in a historic federal lawsuit against the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles on behalf of Chase Culpepper. Chase is a transgender girl who was targeted for discrimination in March 2014 when she attempted to get her first driver's license. She was told by DMV employees that she could not take her photo unless she removed the makeup that she wears on a regular basis. They told her that she needed to "look male" in her license photo and refused to provide her with her driver's license if she did not remove the makeup she was wearing.
TLDEF Praises Bruce Jenner's Courage in Acknowledging Authentic Self
April 24, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) congratulates Bruce Jenner, who tonight publicly came out as transgender. Jenner made the announcement in an interview with Diane Sawyer during a two hour special on ABC News, becoming one of the best-known openly transgender figures in the world and putting to rest widespread speculation about Jenner's identity in the national media.
March, 2015
TLDEF Responds to Indictment in the Killing of Islan Nettles
New York, NY - March 4, 2015 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) responded to the announcement by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. that his office has indicted 24-year old James Dixon on first and second degree manslaughter and first degree assault charges for the August 17, 2013 killing of Islan Nettles, a 21-year-old African American transgender woman from Harlem.
January, 2015
New York City Council Votes to End Discriminatory Birth Certificate Policy
New York, NY - December 8, 2014 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) applauds the New York City Council for passing legislation today that will end the city's discriminatory birth certificate policy. The bill – Int. 491 (2014) – introduced by Councilmember Corey Johnson, eliminates the surgery requirement for transgender people seeking to change the sex designation on their birth certificates. The new policy will require that a licensed health care provider state under oath that based on contemporary expert standards, an individual's true sex is not accurately recorded on their current birth certificate. Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign the bill into law. The Board of Health is expected to adopt regulations tomorrow that mirror this legislation.
New York State Acts to Remove Medicaid Ban on Transgender Health Care
New York, NY - December 16, 2014 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) commends Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health for proposing a new regulation to end the 16-year-old exclusion of transgender health care under New York's Medicaid program.
New York State Issues Guidance Requiring Health Insurance Companies to Cover Transgender Health Care
New York, NY - December 10, 2014 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) today praised the New York State Department of Financial Services for issuing guidance requiring health insurance companies to cover transgender health care on the same terms as other care.
December, 2014
New York High Court Allows Retrial on Hate Crime Charge in Killing of Transgender Woman Lateisha Green
New York, NY - November 24, 2014 - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) today renewed its call for justice in the case of a slain transgender woman after the New York State Court of Appeals overturned the hate crime conviction of the man accused of killing her but allowed the state to retry him on the disputed hate crime charge. DeLee was originally convicted of manslaughter in the first degree as a hate crime for the 2008 killing of Syracuse resident Lateisha "Teish" Green, a 22-year-old African American transgender woman.
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.
Connect With Us
