ACLU Launches National Trans Justice Campaign Featuring Diverse Trans Youth & Their Families Ahead of Landmark Supreme Court Case

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in a landmark trans justice case (U.S. v. Skrmetti) this fall, the American Civil Liberties Union is launching a national “Freedom To Be” campaign today featuring diverse trans youth and their families sharing personal and poignant stories. The campaign was developed to introduce a critical – yet largely absent – element from the national discourse surrounding the lives of trans people and their families: their joy.

The campaign will officially launch at 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET today during a star-studded ACLU-Hollywood Reporter panel, “Freedom to Be: The Future of Trans Visibility.” Moderated by Oscar-nominated actor and LGTBQ+ advocate Anette Bening, the conversation will include high-profile trans actors and advocates such as Emmy-nominated Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Loot), Emmy-nominated Nava Mau (Baby Reindeer), Brian Michael Smith (9-1-1: Lonestar) and Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project.

“As we continue to fight in courts and statehouses in defense of our most fundamental freedoms, we also know transgender people will not find safety or justice in the courts alone,” said Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. “Our national culture still encounters trans people as a question to be answered or a problem to be solved. What trans people know is that our experience is not defined by the people trying to erase us but by the promise we represent for a greater ideal of freedom and liberation. The people and stories at the heart of the Freedom To Be campaign represent that promise by building environments of love and joy in the face of ignorance and fear. That joy and that freedom is precisely what’s at stake in these fights and precisely why it’s at the heart of this campaign.” 

About The Freedom to Be Campaign

Freedom To Be is a year-long, multimedia, multi-platform campaign, with a focus on long- and short-form video content, leading with the stories of trans people from Arizona, New Jersey, New York, and Texas, building solidarity within their communities and finding joy and happiness among their families and friends. A trailer for the campaign can be viewed here.

Additional highlights of the Freedom to Be campaign will include:

• A portrait series of trans people;

• Digital and physical paid media placements;

• Art installations created by and for trans people that will literally and figuratively blanket the National Mall in 2025; and

• A nationwide pledge to support trans youth.

“When I hear Freedom to Be, I think about the importance for trans kids like my son Daniel to be free and supported in their homes,” said Lizette Trujillo, Arizona. “I think about the love and support Jose and I work every day to build for Daniel, support that is being stripped away from families just like ours across the country. I want my family’s story to serve as a calling to build a freer, safer world for our trans family members and trans people in our communities.” 

Interviews with some participants in Freedom To Be – as well as ACLU experts and spokespeople – can be made available upon request. 

Background on the U.S. v. Skrmetti Case Before the U.S. Supreme Court

During its October 2024 term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the landmark U.S. v Skrmetti case. During the oral arguments, the court will hear from trans youth, their families, and a medical provider from Tennessee who will urge the Court to block a state law banning hormone therapies for trans youth because it violates the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Oral arguments have yet to be scheduled but are expected this winter with a ruling from the court expected in spring or summer of 2025. One of the primary goals of Freedom To Be is to ensure the court and communities across the nation have a full, fact-based understanding of what trans freedoms and futures look like ahead of the court’s ruling.

To learn more, visit http://www.aclu.org/freedomtobe