Unwilling to accept the advances in LGBTQ rights, Religious Right extremists are asking state legisla­tures, Congress and the courts for a trump card to undermine social progress. They want to use their religious beliefs to deny health care, refuse to provide services and ignore laws protecting Americans from discrimination and abuse.

Federal courts delivered welcome opinions in two cases last week that protect the rights and dignity of transgender students. Americans United has filed friend-of-the-court briefs in both cases, explaining that bias against transgender people often is rooted in religious beliefs, which cannot be used to dictate how government enforces the law, especially when those beliefs would result in harm to others.

Federal courts in late May delivered opinions affirming the rights and dignity of transgender students in two cases in which Americans United had filed friend-of-the-court briefs.