Posted June 4, 2026
LGBTQIA+ communities enter the spotlight each June. Sometimes it’s because of all the parades, celebrations, and joy of Pride month. But more recently, that spotlight shines because the Supreme Court hands down decisions about our civil rights.
In January, the justices heard oral arguments for Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., two cases focused on the rights of trans athletes to play sports as their authentic selves. Soon the court will issue their opinion determining whether it is constitutional to ban transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity. I lead the Transgender Law Center—the largest, trans-led organization in the country—and based on conversations with community members and the partners we work with, I know that we are all deeply feeling the anxiety and weight of this moment.
The court’s decision has the potential to drastically curtail Title IX, a landmark federal law passed in 1972 to end sex discrimination in education. Title IX is meant to promote gender equality in our schools, but the court’s ruling could single out transgender girls and prevent them from having the same opportunities to play sports as their peers. The ruling may also change how civil rights issues are interpreted for years to come. A broad decision could narrowly define sex to exclude gender identity. This would go against the definition of sex put forward in the 2020 Bostock decision, which has been used to protect trans people from discrimination in other areas of public life, such as employment and housing.
It’s scary that a heavily stacked court can drastically change longstanding civil rights protections. This session we are also awaiting the Supreme Court’s opinion on birthright citizenship, for which the justices will decide whether to overturn a more than century-old law that determines who can be a U.S. citizen. And after the court’s gutting of the Voting Rights Act, one of our fundamental civil rights laws, Black voters will now have to fight for electoral power.
The threats are clear and mounting.
But as trans community, we are all too familiar with finding ways to thrive—even in impossible situations when the law stands against us. We have ancestors such as Lucy Hicks Anderson, who fought proudly for her identity in court long before legal recognition was realized. And we have leaders such as Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Cecilia Gentili, both of whom I knew as fierce advocates and generous souls who refused to let society run our community into hiding.
Many in the trans community hold multiple identities, and we will be deeply impacted by the Supreme Court decisions this month. But regardless of how the court rules, the courts have never been the validator of our worth or existence.
While we’ve had some recent wins from state and federal judges protecting our ability to get healthcare and identity documents, many in our community are still feeling scared. The courts and federal government are wielding unauthorized power to feed political ideology. But we can’t forget that while court opinions may impact our ability to move through the world or express ourselves, they don’t change who we are or the fact that trans communities have always persisted. We’ve always found ways to survive and support each other when society pushes us out of public view and limits our rights. No matter what, we will continue to take care of each other.
I also want us to remember that while legal landscapes are in flux, our people power is constant. Laws change all the time. At various points in history, the law has recognized our rights as trans people, including our rights to healthcare and protection from discrimination. But laws can just as easily be rewritten to strip away our rights. What holds true, however, is that people will always band together to demand more. Throughout history, our communities have walked the streets, knocked on doors, and shown up at the steps of our state capitols and Congress to make it clear we’re not going anywhere, and we’re not giving up. No matter what the Supreme Court decides, we will continue to hold our leaders accountable and demand they honor the rights, dignity, and humanity of every person.
While the political and legal landscape feels grim, there are still avenues to effect change. The federal government and the courts certainly loom large, but so much of our day-to-day lives are governed locally. There are ample opportunities for us to improve the material conditions of our communities at a local level. We can show up at our school board and parent-teacher association meetings to demand schools be inclusive places for all. We can go to our city council meetings and advocate for a budget that prioritizes the safety, affordability, and vibrancy of our towns and cities. We can organize petitions and rallies to ensure working-class people have the wages and benefits they need to thrive. And we can educate ourselves, vote, and make it clear we will not tolerate people who abuse their positions of power to bully others and rig the system for their own personal gain.
As we move through June with both celebration and trepidation, I encourage us to find ways to stay grounded. We are facing a critical moment for trans rights and civil rights more broadly. Now more than ever we must hold each other up. We are in this shared struggle together, fighting the same power-hungry officials who are making things better for themselves and worse for us.
Let’s never forget: The court may set the stage, but we are the directors of our own lives and our futures.
Shelby Chestnut (Assiniboine Fort Peck Tribe) is the Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center. This story was originally published in English at Prism. Prism is an independent and nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color. We report from the ground up and at the intersections of injustice.
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