Apple and dozens of other top tech companies filed a Supreme Court brief today in support of a transgender boy’s fight for equality.
In the case, Gavin Grimm, a transgender student from Virginia, is suing the Gloucester County School Board for creating a bathroom policy he says discriminates against transgender students by separating them from their peers.
Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and 49 other businesses all signed the brief, which was filed by the Human Rights Campaign today. All the companies are urging the Supreme Court to rule in Grimm’s favor.
“These companies are sending a powerful message to transgender children and their families that America’s leading businesses have their backs,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign.
The fight for transgender rights
The filing comes one week after Apple slammed President Donald Trump for rolling back protections for transgender students previously put in place by President Barack Obama. Apple released a statement saying everyone deserves to thrive in an environment free of discrimination.
“We support efforts toward greater acceptance, not less, and we strongly believe that transgender students should be treated as equals,” said an Apple spokesperson. “We disagree with any effort to limit or rescind their rights and protections.”
Oral arguments for Grimm’s case are scheduled for the end of the month. If Grimm’s lawyers succeed, the appeal could close the book on transgender students’ rights once and for all.
Other signees of the Supreme Court brief includes Airbnb, eBay, Gap, Intel, LinkedIn, MAC Cosmetics, PayPal, Salesforce, Twitter, Warby Parker, Williams-Sonoma, Yahoo and Yelp.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
8 responses to “Apple backs transgender student in Supreme Court fight”
i rather see Apple back new Mac Pros, iMacs and minis – than some idiot who can not figure which bathroom to use in public..
Apple stick to the baseline of macs – not Trans..
signed shareholder and mac PRO user
stick to the bathroom mapped out by your chromosomes, done deal. Tech companies engaging in this type of stuff makes my blood boil.
especially considering the excess in profits (unnecessarily expensive products) and sickening bonuses.
This isn’t tech news…dont care about such things…
With all of its billions, why don’t they add a 3rd bathroom to every restaurant, school, business while they are out at. This is a state issue, leave the Feds out of this.
Wow, tough crowd here, so far. As an Apple shareholder, I am glad to see Apple take a stand on this. It is not about ‘some idiot who can’t figure out which bathroom to use’. It is about his school district making life difficult for him.
Your perspective might change, if you knew someone in this position…
cause is has a gay leader? tim should just buy the young confused adult his/her own portable toilet.