ACLU Supporter, today, the ACLU and the ACLU of Arkansas are in the U.S. District Court in Arkansas as arguments begin for Brandt v. Rutledge – where we are challenging the state's law banning health care for transgender adolescents on behalf of four families of trans youth and two doctors.

Given the escalation of attacks on trans youth that politicians have carried out over the past few years and knowing trans rights are a major civil liberties issue on ballots this November, our team cannot emphasize the importance of what's at stake in this trial enough.

That's why I took a moment to talk with one of our attorneys on the case – Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at the ACLU's LGBT & HIV Project – and Jules Gill-Peterson, an Associate Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University and author of The Histories of the Transgender Child.

Together, the three of us break down the case ahead for you, the history that brought us here, and the interconnection of so many other crucial rights on the line right now – from reproductive freedom to healthcare justice and more. Dive into this conversation on our At Liberty podcast today.

ACLU Supporter, to be clear, the care that would be banned by the Arkansas law we're challenging in court over the next few weeks has been shown in recent studies to dramatically reduce depression and suicidal ideation in trans young people.

Major medical organizations have opposed this ban along with many other anti-trans bills like it across the country. And some of the families who we are representing in this case have considered leaving their homes, their jobs, their extended families, and their communities to ensure their children are able to access gender-affirming care – to make sure they can grow up and live freely as themselves.

So what's at stake in this trial and the larger fight for trans justice goes beyond principles. It's a fight for our most fundamental rights, a fight to control our own futures and bodies, and a fight for our lives.

That's what we're talking about – and more – in this new podcast episode, and I hope you'll take a moment to check it out today. We'll keep you updated with more soon and thanks for all you do.

For the people and for our rights,

Gillian Branstetter
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Communications Strategist
Women's Rights Project and LGBTQ & HIV Project, ACLU