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Dear John,

I keep thinking about the phrase “this moment.” It feels like the phrase everyone is using right now. And it’s true, we are living in a bit of a moment: there’s still the whole global pandemic thing (seriously!), mass protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality are building what feels like a tidal wave of progress unlike anything we’ve seen in decades, the Supreme Court just ruled that employers can’t fire people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity… I could go on.

Yes, it feels like a moment. But for many people, it’s been a lifetime.

For Black people, this “moment” comes after a lifetime of experiences of racism and discrimination. For people who are disproportionately feeling the effects of COVID-19 (largely Black and Latinx people, women, and people with low incomes), COVID-19 is only a drop in a larger bucket of systemic discrimination in health care and employment. For LGBTQ people who finally can go to work each day knowing they can’t be fired because of their identity, it comes at the expense of a lifetime of wondering whether or not you can be safely out at work.

So yes, I’m in awe of this moment. But I’m also in awe of the decades and centuries of activism that took place to get us here. I’m thinking about the pain that has been inherited over generations, and the suffering that has lasted decades and centuries until this moment arrived. I’m thinking about the suffering that will continue as we try to create an anti-racist, more equitable world. And, more than anything, I’m reinvigorated to continue putting in the work until we get there. I’m glad to have you alongside us as NWLC continues putting in the work, John.

SCOTUS SAID: 🌈LGBTQ RIGHTS!🌈

In slightly more legal terms: The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision earlier this week that employers cannot fire employees because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. AKA employees cannot be fired for who they are or who they love.
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We truly love to hear it. But even better, this decision could have far-reaching consequences beyond simply protecting LGBTQ workers (which again, we love, but also, kind of a low bar for equality?). Here’s why: The crux of the case revolved around whether or not discrimination on the basis of sex under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and the court ruled that it does. Because there are so many other laws and protections that are based on the word sex, the court’s decision this week could pave the way for a lot more change than just protections for LGBTQ workers.

One example? The Trump administration’s awful rule that it released last Friday afternoon that permits discrimination against transgender people in health care. But the Supreme Court’s decision Monday confirms this rule is unlawful because it discriminates on the basis of gender identity, and the administration will have a hard time defending it in court now that this Supreme Court decision has come out.

OH NO ANOTHER ROMAN NUMERAL: TITLE IX

Ok I’ll admit it: I never learned how to read Roman numerals until I started working at the National Women’s Law Center. It wasn’t the Super Bowl numbers or history classes that did me in, it was…all these laws with numbers in them! One of those laws? Title IX. Here’s a brief history of the law:

1972: Title IX is signed into law, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools which has been important for protecting students against sexual harassment in schools (yay!)
May 2020: Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration finalize a rule gutting these protections, making schools more dangerous for everyone (nay!)
Last week: We sued (YAY!)

No one should ever feel unsafe at school. These bogus rules stack the deck against survivors. We’ll keep you posted on how we’re continuing to fight this attack on student survivors and how you can stay involved!
FEATURED: 🧱 x 🧱

In case you hadn’t heard, it’s pride month! Here at NWLC, we’re ~proud~ to announce the launch of Brick by Brick, a first-of-its-kind advocacy curriculum centering LGBTQ+ people of color! We know that for far too long, the histories, experiences, and identities of LGBTQ people of color have not been centered in our schools, in our communities, or in our history books. Brick by Brick is changing that by creating a curriculum that’s adaptable to any virtual or in-person environment (classroom, GSA club, or anything else!).

Beautiful artwork done by Kah Yangni! [[link removed]]

Want to celebrate with us? Join us for our 🚀launch🚀 event on Thursday, June 25, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. You can register for the Zoom here [[link removed]] , and we’ll have a mix of special guests and our inaugural Brick by Brick fellows!

Must-Reads:

Why this recession could be especially devastating for women.
Idaho banned transgender girls from playing on girl’s sports teams and limited intersex people’s participation in sports. So we called on the NCAA to stop hosting events in Idaho until it changes the discriminatory, transphobic law.
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Must-Dos:
Child Care Is Essential. If you have kids, you know child care is essential. If, like me, you don’t have kids, you also know child care is essential because you see in the background of Zooms how much energy children have and you feel exhausted just looking at them. Enter: the Child Care Is Essential Act! This bill would stabilize the child care sector, which, as per most industries that are predominantly filled by women, has been overlooked and underfunded during this pandemic. Tell your members of Congress to support it today!
Tell Your Senators: Stop Pushing Federal Judges Forward During a Pandemic! Did we even have to say it? We did. And apparently, so do you. The Senate is moving forward on two extremist judges next week, even though they’ve utterly failed at providing meaningful relief to people suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remind your senators to get their priorities straight.

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Feminist Moment of Joy:

Honestly, we’re still not over the surprise Supreme Court win on Monday. I was tuned into SCOTUS Blog starting at 9:59 a.m., waiting for the cases of the day to drop, and as the minutes ticked by, I got to see in real time the Supreme Court decide this enormous, historic case. What a sight to behold. Happy pride, y’all.

In solidarity and roman numerals,
Hannah Finnie (she/her/hers)
Senior Manager of Campaign and Digital Strategies
National Women’s Law Center

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National Women's Law Center
11 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
United States