The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases in 2026 of vital importance to the lives and rights of transgender and nonbinary people across the country and with potential impact to the broader issue of gender justice in general.
The two cases are Little v. Hecox and B.P.J. v. West Virginia, and the ACLU National, GSA Network, Lambda Legal and Transgender Law Center are heading up a national campaign to draw attention to these two, and the four organizations are urging everyone to join them in that effort.
Little v. Hecox is a lawsuit challenging Idaho’s “fairness in Women’s Sports Act” — aka HB 500 — banning trans women and girl from participating on female sports teams.
Lindsay Hecox, a Boise State University student who wanted to join her school’s cross-country team, and a transgender high school student identified as Jane Doe, filed suit to challenge SB 500, arguing that it violates the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
After the district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement on HB 500 as the case moves through the courts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that injunction.
In B.P.J. v. West Virginia, 15-year-old transgender high school student Becky Pepper-Jackson filed suit challenging West Virginia’s “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which also bans transgender girls from competing on girls’ teams. The lawsuit alleges discrimination under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. A federal district court initially blocked enforcement of the West Virginia law as it applied to Pepper-Jackson but later moved to uphold the law. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, reversed the lower court ruling, declaring that the law does violate Title IX when applied to Pepper-Jackson.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals in both cases, consolidating them into one case. (Because the state of West Virginia was the party granted a hearing on appeal by the Supreme Court, that case is now styled West Virgina v. B.P.J.).
Oral arguments for both cases are set for Jan. 13, and the four civil rights organizations mentioned above have planned activations around the country leading up to Jan. 13 and on that day.
Rallies are planned for Jan. 10 and Jan. 13 in Dallas.
A pre-oral argument rally and community gathering will be held Saturday, Jan. 10, from 1-3 p.m. at Cathedral of Hope UCC, 5910 Cedar Springs Road.
Then on Tuesday, Jan. 13, they are asking everyone to gather at the Legacy of Love Monument, located at the intersection of Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road, from 1-3 p.m. Two speakers have been confirmed for the rally, which will be immediately followed by a “Know Your Rights Clinic” at Union Coffee, located across the road from the monument at 3705 Cedar Springs Road.