In June 2020, the transgender community saw a monumental victory in Bostock v. Clayton County. The complantee filed a lawsuit after they were falsely terminated because of their sexual orientation. Essentially, the case “established that gender identity and sexual orientation were protected traits under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” The title was put in place to prevent discrimination of individuals based on race, sex and much more. In this particular case, Bostock was victorious and it was the first time the supreme court ruled in Bostock’s favor, protecting trans rights. Not only was this a win for Bostock, it was a win for the millions of LGBTQ+ members who face discrimination in society.
LGBTQ+ supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court in 2019
In June 2020, president Joe Biden released an official statement saying that the month of June is to now be recognized as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer pride month. Although president Bill Clinton was the first to create a pride month, only few presidents have upheld their commitment to the LGBTQ+ movement and pride month, with Obama being the second to ever do so. In Biden’s letter from the White House, he highlights the importance of why the United States has a pride month. Firstly, he commemorates the “resilience and determination of the many individuals who are fighting to live freely and authentically”. Secondly, he reinforces the fact that we as Americans all have fundamental rights and equality, and that we “dedicate ourselves to protecting the most vulnerable among us”.
During Obama’s presidency and continuing into Biden’s, the facade of the White House is illuminated with the gay pride colors
There have been countless positive advancements in LGBTQ+ liberation and equality, but there have also been backlash across the country. More specifically, in August 2021, there was a noticeable rise in anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in Utah. During that same month, before the spike was widely noticed, a lesbian couple that had just been married were found murdered. The media had started to tune into the events unfolding, and paid especially close attention to the recent actions that had been announced a few days after the couple was found. According to the State School Board, asking students what their preferred gender identity and name were prohibited. Dating back around sixty years, Brigham Young University (BYU), has notoriously been a point of contention over LGBTQ+ liberation. Administrators of the Mormon Church and BYU continued to slander the LGBTQ+ way of life, sparking outrage from the students and surrounding communities. Enraged by the university’s homophobia, pride and liberation parties began to protest on campus in late 2019, and are continuing to this day. Now more than ever, there is an increasing need for equality and liberation for the LGBTQ+ community in Utah.
Associate professor at Utah Valley University talks about the hardships she faced at the Mormon Church and BYU as a closteted trans woman
Work Cited
Biden, Joseph R. “A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and
Queer Pride Month, 2021.” The White House, The United States Government,
1 June 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-
actions/2021/06/01/a-proclamation-on-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-
and-queer-pride-month-2021/.
Li, Angela. “Human Rights Hero: The LGBTQ Rights Movement .”
Americanbar.org, 2021,
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_
rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/human-rights-
hero/.
Staff, Liberation. “LGBTQ Movement on the Rise in Utah.” Liberation News, 15
Sept. 2021, https://www.liberationnews.org/lgbtq-movement-on-the-rise-
in-utah/.
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