Hecox v. Little

  • Filed: 04/15/2020
  • Status: Pending
  • Court: United States District Court Court for the District of Idaho
  • Latest Update: Apr 15, 2020
Hecox v. Little

Affirming the rights of transgender women and intersex athletes.

Lindsay is a college student at Boise State University. She wants to run on the track team so she can form friendships with other girls. A new law in Idaho would ban her from doing so because she is transgender. Lindsay is suing and is being represented by the ACLU and the ACLU of Idaho, Legal Voice and Cooley LLP

Among the dozens of anti-trans laws introduced in 2020 is Idaho’s HB 500, which bans women and girls who are transgender and many women and girls who are intersex from participating in sports.

Governor Brad Little signed HB 500 into law on March 30, 2020, making Idaho the first state in the nation to impose an outright ban on participation of transgender athletes and the only with a statewide law regulating transgender and intersexed athletes.

Idaho already had one of the most restrictive policies in the country regulating participation of high school transgender athletes. That policy, which will be replaced by HB 500’s outright ban on participation, requires girls who are transgender to complete one year of hormone therapy as part of gender transition before competing in girls’ sports.

Lindsay is being represented by counsel from the ACLU National LGBT & HIV Project, ACLU of Idaho, Legal Voice and Cooley, LLP.

Case Number:
1:20-cv-184
Attorney(s):
Ritchie Eppink, Gabriel Arkles, Chase Strangio, James Esseks, Catherine West, Kathleen Hartnett, Elizabeth Prelogar, Andrew Barr
Pro Bono Firm:
Cooley, LLP

Questions and Answers About Hecox v. Little

Earlier this year, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill that bans women and girls who are transgender from school and college sports. The law also forces all girls and women who participate in school athletics to endure invasive testing to prove their sex if anyone disputes their gender. The bill was known as House Bill 500, or HB 500 for short. The Governor signed the bill and on July 1, 2020, it became an Idaho law.What is the lawsuit about?The law makes Idaho the only state to completely bar all women and girls who are transgender from sports. We sued because trans people belong everywhere, including in schools and on sports teams. The lawsuit asks the court to strike down the new law.What is the hearing on July 22 about?The hearing is for the lawyers in the case to make arguments to the judge about HB 500. There are three big topics they will argue about:Will the judge #LetLindsayRun? The judge has to decide whether to stop HB 500 from taking effect during the coming school year. The judge can do that by issuing an order called a “preliminary injunction.” That order would stop the government from enforcing HB 500 for now. If the court issues an injunction, Lindsay Hecox can try out for Boise State’s cross-country team next month.Should the court dismiss the case? State officials have all asked

Hecox v. Little

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Questions and Answers About Hecox v. Little

Earlier this year, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill that bans women and girls who are transgender from school and college sports. The law also forces all girls and women who participate in school athletics to endure invasive testing to prove their sex if anyone disputes their gender. The bill was known as House Bill 500, or HB 500 for short. The Governor signed the bill and on July 1, 2020, it became an Idaho law.What is the lawsuit about?The law makes Idaho the only state to completely bar all women and girls who are transgender from sports. We sued because trans people belong everywhere, including in schools and on sports teams. The lawsuit asks the court to strike down the new law.What is the hearing on July 22 about?The hearing is for the lawyers in the case to make arguments to the judge about HB 500. There are three big topics they will argue about:Will the judge #LetLindsayRun? The judge has to decide whether to stop HB 500 from taking effect during the coming school year. The judge can do that by issuing an order called a “preliminary injunction.” That order would stop the government from enforcing HB 500 for now. If the court issues an injunction, Lindsay Hecox can try out for Boise State’s cross-country team next month.Should the court dismiss the case? State officials have all asked

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