It was an argument that seemed ripe for the time, given recent legal decisions which have expanded rights for same-sex couples and others. Aimee Stephens, Activist Who Brought First Major Transgender Rights Case to U.S. Supreme Court, Dies at 59 Aimee Stephens at home in Fayetteville, N.C., March 23, 2018. Guestbook. We can do it smarter. And in dissent, Justice Alito said they’re right to be nervous, that this ruling can make religious people and religious employers on the hook for employment discrimination if they just follow the dictates of their faith. She started working at R.G. With the support of my loving wife, I have decided to become the person that my mind already is. questioning whether federal law protected transgender individuals from job discrimination, Ex-funeral home worker’s case going to Supreme Court, raising question whether 1964 law covers gender identity, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "Aimee is an inspiration. It is with a deep sense of grief that affected individuals mourn and shared the heartbreaking news on social media. It is with incredible sadness and heavy hearts that we announce that our friend and colleague has passed away. Aimee Stephens passed away on May 12, 2020 at the age of 60. The two individuals are, to the employer’s mind, materially identical in all respects, except that one is a man and the other a woman. Harris Funeral Homes in 2013 after telling her employer she was transgender. In a major reform by the nation’s largest police force, New York City is disbanding its anti-crime unit, a team of 600 officers who patrol the city in plain clothes that has been involved in some of the city’s most notorious police shootings. She was in a wheelchair when the court heard arguments last fall. Aimee Stephens’ historic Supreme Court battle for trans rights will continue after her tragic death, with her widow taking over the case ahead of an expected ruling. After struggling with health problems, Stephens … Yeah, that’s right, Michael. More in Activism. And we will. Aimee Stephens, a transgender woman whose suit for discrimination is now pending before the Supreme Court, has passed away. Stephens, who was a biologically assigned male at birth, confronted her boss at R.G. Sure, they’re nervous about this ruling. “Aimee did not set out to be a hero and a trailblazer, but she is one, and our country owes her a debt of gratitude for her commitment to justice for all people and her dedication to our transgender community," said Chase Strangio, a member of Stephens’ legal team and an ACLU official. The court heard her case on the same day as two other sexual orientation discrimination cases which involved the firing of gay individuals. I gave it to the boss. Aimee Stephens’ death was announced by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented her in a lawsuit against R.G. But in 27 states, there’s no federal protection for gay and transgender workers. Aimee Stephens has died, DeadDeath learned about the death on May 13, 2020 — Friends and families of the deceased are broken by the passing of their beloved one. Aimee Stephens was 59. This decision of course, gives you some sense that challenges to Trump administration actions would meet with positive reception at the court. That’s a really important point. Stephens is survived by a wife, Donna, and a daughter, Elizabeth. Some historic cases are symbolic only. It is with incredible sadness and heavy hearts that we announce that our friend and colleague has passed away. And Adam, remind us of the specific cases that are involved in this ruling. Good afternoon, everyone. They asked me a question. “What I must tell you is very difficult for me and is taking all the courage I can muster,” she wrote. “I first met her seven years ago when she came into the office after she was fired from her job,” recalled Jay Kaplan, staff … Hm, so this ruling may leave open the possibility that an employer could bring future cases that could make it all the way up to the Supreme Court challenging this ruling on the grounds of religious liberty, saying this ruling infringes on my right to practice my religion the way I see fit. And the third was a transgender woman named Aimee Stephens, who, Michael, your listeners may remember, because —. Cherished sister Susan Baxley and Kimberly (Jarrad) Taunt. Adam Liptak and Jenny Gross contributed reporting. Trans lives matter! It’s been a tough few weeks for the N.Y.P.D., for the city, really, for the whole country. Stephens, Aimee. I’m 58 years old, and I live in Redford, Mich. Aimee, I wonder if you could read from the letter that you handed your boss. It wasn’t to just give up and walk away. and G.R. Harris in 2008. He’s the only one whose language we have in front of us and whose reasoning we know for certain. Guestbook. Justice Alito even says it might prohibit people from using anything other than the preferred pronouns of the people to whom they talk. You said that on our show. John Bursch, a Michigan lawyer who represented Rost before the Supreme Court, argued that to allow the decision to stand would be to open all sorts of gender-based programs, including those which are intended to benefit women who are assigned that gender at birth, to men who made the transition to becoming women. She has given so many hope for the future of equality for … REDFORD, MI — A transgender woman advocating for the rights of her community in Michigan died Tuesday in the midst of a landmark Supreme Court case. people to live as ourselves at work and in every aspect of our lives,” he said in a statement. But those two people don’t vote together all that often. Ms. Stephens traveled to Washington for the Supreme Court hearing on the case in October. Because after all, the United States government is a major employer, right? There are three plaintiffs in the three cases, two of them have sadly died, including Aimee Stephens, who died just a few weeks ago. She was 59. Her death is not expected to impact the court's deliberations on a decision, since the case is so far along and there are other cases in which the estate of a deceased party to a case has continued to pursue an outcome. Aimee Stephens Death Stephens died on May 12, 2020, at the age of 59 years. Ms. Stephens was born on Dec. 7, 1960, in Fayetteville, N.C. She graduated from Mars Hill University in 1984 with a degree in religious education and obtained a degree in mortuary science from Fayetteville Technical Community College in 1988, according to the A.C.L.U. Aimee Stephens, Activist Who Brought First Major Transgender Rights Case to U.S. Supreme Court, Dies at 59 Aimee Stephens at home in Fayetteville, N.C., March 23, 2018. Aimee leaves behind loving spouse Donna Stephens. I remember speaking with Aimee Stephens after the oral arguments, and she had some real doubts about whether the court was going to ultimately rule in her favor. Stephens, 59, had kidney disease and was in hospice care. So she didn’t see the result of her lawsuit. Portrait. She hasn’t disclosed her date of birth. How her death has been covered shows just how important her work truly was. “I first met her seven years ago when she came into the office after she was fired from her job,” recalled Jay Kaplan, staff attorney for the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT Project. Aimee Stephens' death was announced by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented her in a lawsuit against R.G. & G.R. Her complaint is now before the Supreme Court. Aimee Stephens was a transgender woman whose job discrimination case is currently before the Supreme Court, with a decision expected within days. Ms. Stephens’s survivors include her wife, Donna Stephens, and the couple’s daughter, Elizabeth. And so what explanation do the other conservative justices who did not join Gorsuch in the majority give for breaking with him, and with Roberts, if Gorsuch and Roberts found a pretty conservative justification for extending these rights to gay and transgender people? Well, the key justice is Justice Gorsuch. How her death has been covered shows just how important her work truly was. Stephens, a former funeral home employee who said she was fired in 2013 for being transgender, was still awaiting what could be a landmark decision by the court, which is expected by the end of next month. Or perhaps they try to settle out of court. Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said Ms. Stephens “will be remembered as a trailblazer.”. samantha stephens. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2020. rights play out before the justices on many occasions. We do have a quick sense that President Trump is prepared to accept the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday. Aimee Stephens:Ex-funeral home worker’s case going to Supreme Court, raising question whether 1964 law covers gender identity, "In the face of an employer who fired her for being her true self, Aimee came forward to share her personal story in front of the court and millions of Americans," said Kasey Suffredini, the group's CEO and national campaign director. Her brother-in-law, John Pedit started a GoFundMe to cover the costs of her funeral. We will update you as soon as we have more information. After all, this was not only happening to me, but to thousands of others. The ACLU said her wife, Donna Stephens, was with Aimee when she died. polices this great city. BALTIMORE, MD – Dee Farmer, the first transgender plaintiff to bring a case before the United States Supreme Court, issued the following statement in response to the death of Aimee Stephens, a transgender woman whose employment discrimination … She was 59. 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