WASHINGTON— The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) and Lambda Legal today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Trump administration’s ban on military service by transgender individuals. The lawsuit, brought in response to the administration’s executive order, was filed on behalf of seven actively serving transgender service members, a transgender person seeking to enlist in the military, and Gender Justice League, a civil and human rights organization headquartered in Seattle.

“This discriminatory ban is a threat to our national security, wastes years of training and financial investments, and is unconstitutional,” said Sarah Warbelow, Vice President of Legal, Human Rights Campaign Foundation. “Thousands of transgender servicemembers have already met the military’s rigorous standards and more than proven themselves. Our military must be able to recruit the best candidates, retain the highly-trained servicemembers, and every qualified patriot should be able to serve free of discrimination. Thank you to the courageous plaintiffs who have already sacrificed so much for this country, and now are fighting to continue their service in the face of a cruel and dangerous ban.”

“This ban not only wrongfully prevents patriotic, talented Americans from serving, it also compromises the safety and security of our country,” said Sasha Buchert, Counsel and Nonbinary and Transgender Rights Project Director, Lambda Legal. “Thousands of current service members are transgender, and many have been serving courageously and successfully in the U.S. military. Once again attacking a vulnerable population based on bias, political opportunism and demonstrably untrue ‘alternative facts,’ President Trump is seeking to deny courageous transgender people the opportunity to serve our country. He’s got to get through us first.”

Lambda Legal and HRCF filed the lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The plaintiffs include:

1. Commander Emily “Hawking” Shilling, United States Navy, with 19 years of service.
2. Commander Blake Dremann, United States Navy, with 19 years of service.
3. Lieutenant Commander Geirid Morgan, United States Navy, with 14 years of service.
4. Sergeant First Class Cathrine “Katie” Schmid, United States Army, with 20 years of service.
5. Sergeant First Class Jane Doe, United States Army, with 17 years of service.
6. Staff Sergeant Videl Leins, United States Air Force, with 16 years of service.
7. Mr. Matthew Medina, a transgender person seeking to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.
8. Gender Justice League, a civil and human rights organization.

“The assertion that transgender service members like myself are inherently untrustworthy or lack honor is an insult to all who have dedicated their lives to defending this country,” said Commander Emily Shilling, speaking in her personal capacity and whose views and opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Navy or Department of Defense. “My nearly two decades of service as a naval aviator and test pilot, routinely selected for the most challenging leadership roles, with 60 combat missions and over 1,700 flight hours in high-performance jets, speaks for itself. I have been selected for promotion and ranked number one in my community for merit. Not because of my identity, our boards are deliberately blind to such things, but because my performance and leadership set me apart. What greater proof of merit is required? This ban is not about readiness or cohesion, and it is certainly not about merit. It is about exclusion and betrayal, purposely targeting those of us who volunteered to serve, simply for having the courage and integrity to live our truth.”

“I am one of thousands of transgender service members currently serving honorably on active duty in the US military,” said Geirid Morgan, speaking in her personal capacity and whose views and opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Navy or Department of Defense. “Transgender Americans who volunteer to serve in the Armed Forces meet the same standards and requirements to serve as any other warfighter and we have earned our place in the military. Our Nation has invested billions of dollars into our military training and experience, and we have invested years of our lives and countless hours of hard work in service to this Nation. I am truly hopeful that our case filing will ensure that those investments don’t go to waste. Our dedication and our sacrifice, as well as that of our families, is not worth any less to the military or the American people.”

“This Executive Order is nothing more than just a discriminatory attack against transgender individuals like myself and many others to paint us as the problem in today’s world and keep everyone else distracted from the actual problems at hand like mental health, veteran benefits and many more,” said Matthew Medina, speaking in his personal capacity and whose views and opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Navy or Department of Defense. “I cannot stand for this blatant exploitation of human rights to go on any further and I will not be shamed for my identity. I am human first like everyone else and should only be seen for my humanity.”

“I’ve served my country for 20 years. I’ve deployed across half the world, led Soldiers in all kinds of weather and fought in every domain,” said Cathrine Schmid, speaking in her personal capacity and whose views and opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Navy or Department of Defense. “The Army invested in my skills, awarded my performance, and entrusted me to uphold the values of our noble profession. I ask nothing more than to continue that mission. Let the DoD prove its dedication to merit and performance over arbitrary measures like the fact that I’m trans and let me serve.”

“Gender Justice League is honored to stand with the thousands of brave trans service members in fighting for a US Military that bases employment on merit, qualifications, and that does not discriminate simply on the basis of who people are,” said Danni Askini, Executive Director, Gender Justice League. “For the last 10 years, tens of thousands of transgender people have served our country honorably in all branches in nearly all fields. This executive order harms our military’s retention, recruitment, and deprives us of highly trained service members when we need them most.”

In 2017, then President Trump announced via tweet his intention to ban transgender Americans from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Services. The Human Rights Campaign, represented by Lambda Legal and the Modern Military Association of America sued to block this policy, one of several such lawsuits filed by sister organizations across the country. Courts unanimously blocked the policy before the Supreme Court allowed it to take effect during the pendency of the cases. The Biden administration later rescinded the policy upon taking office in 2021.

Read about the first lawsuit, Karnoski v. Trump,here.

The government-commissioned RAND study released in May 2016 determined that the cost of providing transition-related care is exceedingly small relative to U.S. Armed Forces overall health care expenditures, that there are no readiness implications that prevent transgender members from serving openly, and that numerous foreign militaries have successfully permitted open service without a negative effect on effectiveness, readiness or unit cohesion.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation attorneys working on the case are: Sarah Warbelow, Cynthia Weaver, and Ami Patel. They are joined by co-counsel Sasha Buchert, Jenny Pizer, Camilla Taylor, Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Kenneth Upton, and Kell Olson of Lambda Legal.

Thirteenth Edition of HRC’s Municipal Equality Index, Nation’s Most Comprehensive Survey of Cities’ LGBTQ+ Policies, Shows Record Breaking 130 Cities – More Than 25% of All Surveyed – Earned Highest Possible Score As State-Level Challenges Mount

WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, in collaboration with the Equality Federation, an advocacy accelerator rooted in social justice that builds power in a network of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, released the thirteenth edition of the Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only comprehensive nationwide assessment of LGBTQ+ equality in the areas of municipal policies, laws and services. HRC is proud to partner with the City of Tempe, Arizona and Mayor Corey Woods to launch the 2024 index. Tempe is an MEI “All-Star City,” which scores highly on the index despite a lack of state-level non-discrimination laws.

The 2024 MEI shows a record breaking 130 cities scoring the highest possible marks on the index, representing a combined population of approximately 49 million people. This year also marks an increase to the national average score, with cities in nearly every region (except for the Southeast and Great Plains) seeing their averages increase.

This important progress was made even as pressure has continued from states that pass laws and policies that seek to shut transgender people – particularly trans youth – out of public life. Since the first MEI report in 2012, when only five cities offered these vital benefits, to 187 municipalities in 2022, and now more than 240 in 2024, the trend continues to be toward inclusivity. Despite this, state legislatures have enacted discriminatory laws that prevent transgender people from getting certain kinds of medically necessary health care. Cities who have worked to ensure that transgender-inclusive health benefits are covered by their insurance plans are in many cases no longer able to provide that coverage in a meaningful way as a result of discriminatory decisions made by state legislators. This is, unfortunately, reflected in the 2024 MEI report as a loss of points for about 35% of the cities who have attempted to offer this care but have been preempted from doing so.

“Over more than a decade, the Municipal Equality Index has worked with cities and towns in all parts of the country, in all fifty states to advance the fight for lived & legal equality,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “For LGBTQ+ people, building community isn’t just a phrase, it’s a way of life. In many important ways, local politics shapes our lives just as much as state or national politics does. Mayors and city councilors who take LGBTQ+ inclusion seriously build stronger communities, and in turn their cities thrive.

130 cities earned the highest possible score in this year’s index – over 25 percent of the cities we surveyed. And many, many more scored highly despite the fact that their states lack comprehensive non-discrimination protections, or even have state houses actively hostile to LGBTQ+ equality. They show the way forward, and we celebrate their hard work.”

Key findings from the 2024 Municipal Equality Index, which scored 506 cities, include:

• This year, a record-breaking 130 cities or over 25 percent of all MEI-rated cities, earned the highest score of 100, which is up from 129 in 2023
  • Only 6 cities scored zero points.
• Across 20 states, 76 cities and towns earned over 85 points despite their state lacking non-discrimination statutes that explicitly protect sexual orientation and gender identity. In recognition of their efforts, the following localities earned the title of “All-Star City.” (A “*” below indicates the city earned all-star status for the first time this year)
  • Alabama: Birmingham
  • Alaska: Juneau
  • Arizona: Chandler, Flagstaff, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Tucson
  • Florida: Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Miami Shores, Oakland Park, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Tampa, Wilton Manors
  • Georgia: Atlanta, Decatur
  • Indiana: Bloomington, Evansville, Terre Haute
  • Kansas: Lawrence, Overland Park, Topeka, Wichita
  • Louisiana: New Orleans
  • Missouri: Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis
  • Montana: Bozeman*, Missoula
  • Nebraska: Omaha*
  • North Carolina: Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem
  • Ohio: Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Dublin, Lakewood, Toledo
  • Oklahoma: Norman, Tulsa*
  • Pennsylvania: Allentown, Carlisle, Erie, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, State College
  • South Carolina: Myrtle Beach
  • South Dakota: Brookings, Vermillion*
  • Texas: Arlington, Austin, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, San Antonio
  • West Virginia: Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown
  • Wyoming: Laramie
• Nationwide, 65 cities have a policy that prohibits bullying on the basis of sexual orientation in their youth-facing city services and 63 cities offer the same protections for gender identity.
• Unfortunately, fewer cities are providing fully transgender inclusive health benefits to municipal employees in recent years. While more cities are offering those benefits – 244 cities have benefits packages including transgender-inclusive health care – state legislation has gravely impacted the enforceability and accessibility of these benefits with 85 cities, or about 35 percent of cities with trans-inclusive benefits, unable to offer the same benefits to dependent minors due to state laws.
  • 159 cities offer and are able to actually provide health benefits to their municipal employees that include coverage for gender affirming care
• Remarkably, 29 states saw their averages increase since the 2023 MEI, leading to an average score nationwide of 72.
  • Oregon (+9), Maine (+7), and Minnesota (+6) were the highest state average increase
• 121 cities ranked by the MEI now have more comprehensive, transgender-inclusive non-discrimination laws than their state
• 53 cities are testing the limits of restrictive state law, through actions like council resolutions/declarations opposing anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation, engagement with state legislators, executive orders and other actions
  • Comparatively, only 30 cities did so in 2019, nearly doubling over the last five years

“As a community and a people, we are interconnected. While certain federal and state anti-equality politicians continue to single people out to bully based on race or gender, local communities continue showing up for each other and fighting for our freedoms, our families, and our futures,” said Fran Hutchins, Executive Director of Equality Federation Institute. “Local advocates are tirelessly working to shield their communities and affirm the power and strength of queer and trans individuals, even in the face of discriminatory state laws. Yet, while some cities are making progress, the overall landscape remains challenging. The Municipal Equality Index underscores the need to invest in local leaders, on-the-ground capacity, and the fight for local protections wherever possible.”

Every year, the Municipal Equality Index scores the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities, 75 cities and municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples, and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state groups, members, and supporters.

Even though local leaders continue to pave the way forward for equality, there remains an unacceptable patchwork of laws for LGBTQ+ people across the country. This reinforces the need for the federal Equality Act – one of HRC’s top legislative priorities – that would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.

The full 2024 MEI report, including detailed scorecards for every city and a searchable score database, is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

81% of Equality Voters and 84% of LGBTQ+ Voters Backed Harris for President

Just 4% of voters named policies attacking trans people as an important issue in deciding who to support for president

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New polling released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — shows that Equality Voters overwhelmingly backed pro-equality candidates up and down the ballot while anti-trans ads once again failed to motivate voters’ decisions at the ballot box.

“Equality Voters and LGBTQ+ voters showed up this election to vote for a brighter future, and that fight will continue, “ said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “While the results of this election are deeply disappointing, this polling shows that strong majorities of Americans want elected officials to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination and to stay out of the health care of trans people. It also confirms that once again, anti-trans attacks were not a motivating issue for voters–all they do is sow hate and division toward a community that just wants to be their authentic selves.”

Top findings from the poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, include:

Equality and LGTBQ+ Voters delivered huge margins to Democrats at every level of the ballot.

The poll finds that 81% of Equality Voters backed Kamala Harris, a number that mirrors the Democratic support in 2022 and the Biden support in 2020. Similarly, LGBTQ+ voters, who made up 8% of the electorate according to exit polls, backed Harris over Trump by a 84-14 margin, a number comparable to her support in the Black community. 

Similarly high margins were found in battleground states that kept Democratic Senate candidate competitive:

• Arizona: Equality Voters backed Democrats by a 92 to 7 margin
• Michigan: Equality Voters backed Democrats by a 78 to 19 margin
• Pennsylvania: Equality Voters backed Democrats by a 80 to 17 percent margin
• Wisconsin: Equality Voters backed Democrats by a 75-24 margin

Equality Voters, who made up 34% of the electorate, are a geographically diverse, multiracial, and multigenerational voting bloc who are united by the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality. These voters are younger, more racially diverse, and more female than the general electorate.

Like in previous elections, MAGA’s attacks on transgender people failed to move voters.

This election cycle, MAGA politicians spent more than $150 million on heinous, hateful ads attacking the trans community, despite a long history of failure and extensive research showing these ads fail to move voters. This new poll confirms the ineffectiveness of these attacks.

Nationally, 64% of voters recall seeing an anti-trans attack ad against Kamala Harris. But just 4%—dead last on this list— identify opposing surgeries for trans people and trans kids’ participation in sports as issues motivating them to vote. (This aligns with research Gallup found in September). In fact, when asked directly which candidate ”represents your views on transgender people,” voters pick Harris (52 to 40 percent).

Backing up this new data are results we saw across the country where pro-equality candidates and referendums won despite an onslaught of anti-trans attacks, including Sarah McBride, who will become our nation’s first ever openly transgender member of Congress, U.S Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who won a third term from Wisconsinites, and pro-reproductive freedom ballot referendums like Proposition 1 in New York.

While the attacks were once again ineffective from a political perspective, they caused tremendous harm to the transgender community already at high risk of mental health struggles and violent attacks.

Voters Believe LGBTQ+ People Should be Protected from Discrimination and that Politicians Shouldn’t Interfere with Health Care for Trans People

A 60% majority support a federal law that would make it illegal to deny services to LGBTQ+ people and would ban discrimination in employment and housing; this majority includes 57% of the non-college voters that played such an outsized role in Trump’s election. An even stronger 73% majority (60% among Republicans) argue the government should not interfere with the health care transgender people receive.

Remarks Will Center LGBTQ+ Stories From Arizona, California, and Texas

WASHINGTON, DC – On a night dubbed Fighting For Our Freedoms, Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson will address millions of Americans from the Democratic National Convention stage. At 5:45p CT, Robinson will share her own family’s journey from enslavement to freedom, a stirring reminder of the progress made in the fight for justice and equality, amplify LGBTQ+ stories from around the country, and underscore the stark contrast between the threat posed by Donald Trump to our fundamental freedoms and the hope and inspiration of the Harris-Walz ticket.

“This convention is putting on display the future we deserve: one where we all have the freedom to love who we love, be who we are, and get the chance to shine,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “The 20+ million LGBTQ+ people in this country are living proof of the progress we’ve already made – and there’s no way we are letting Donald Trump, JD Vance, and their Project 2025 agenda drag us back in time. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have shown up for us their entire careers. It’s an honor to show up for them. And know this: when we show up, we win.”

Robinson’s remarks will feature three LGBTQ+ stories, putting a spotlight on the growing power of the community, rich beauty of the community’s stories, and the dedication of Vice President Harris to defending and advancing our freedom to love and to be. Those stories include:

• Daniel Trujillo, a transgender young person whose advocacy in Tucson has helped to defeat anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and propel pro-equality candidates to victory. Daniel and his family have been tireless champions for equality in Arizona, lobbying the state legislature frequently and appearing in local and national media. They participated in the Out For Kamala Harris Zoom call that garnered 25,000+ attendees and raised over $300,000 for Vice President Harris’ White House bid in the days following her announcement. Daniel is attending his first prom next year.
• Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, the history-making couple who successfully challenged Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. One hour after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted its stay on an injunction that ordered state officials to stop enforcing the ban, then Attorney General Kamala Harris officiated the couple’s marriage – the first in the state since 2008. Perry and Stier’s story powerfully underscores how dedicated Vice President Harris has been to the fight for equality throughout her career.
• Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Alva, the first American soldier injured in the Iraq war and who played an instrumental role in the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” A gay man, disabled veteran, and U.S. citizen of Hispanic and Native American heritage, Eric lives in San Antonio and is an author, public speaker and advocate who proudly champions what a Vice President and Governor Harris Walz administration would mean to LGBTQ+ service members.

Other LGBTQ+ speakers tonight include Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who will highlight the threat of Project 2025 to our freedoms and US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who will make clear the contrast between the Trump-Vance ticket and the Harris-Walz roadmap to freedom and equality for all.

The LGBTQ+ presence at the 2024 Democratic National Convention is historic. Over 800 of the party’s delegates identify as LGBTQ+, the largest contingent in history, which includes more than four dozen transgender and nonbinary delegates. The surge in LGBTQ+ representation among delegates comes as LGBTQ+ and allied voting power is surging as well. The nation’s number of Equality Voters, those who prioritize issues of equality when deciding who to vote for, has grown to a record 75 million, with millions located in key battleground states that were decided by narrow margins in 2020.

Robinson’s remarks will stream live on the Democratic National Convention’s website.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.