CONTACTS:
Christopher Vasquez, NCLR Communications Director
415.365.1337 | cvasquez@nclrights.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2020
NCLR Mourns the Passing of Transgender Trailblazer Aimee Stephens
DETROIT, MI – The National Center for Lesbian Rights mourns the loss of Aimee Stephens, who passed today at the age of 59, before the U.S. Supreme Court could issue a decision in Stephens v. Harris Funeral Homes, the landmark civil rights case brought by Stephens after she was fired for being transgender.
“It is heartbreaking that Aimee Stephens has passed away before the resolution of her historic case, which is the culmination of decades of federal case law holding that Title VII protects transgender workers,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR Legal Director. “No matter how her case is resolved, Aimee will be remembered as a central figure who helped to humanize transgender people and to highlight the discrimination faced by many transgender workers. Aimee’s career was devoted to serving others and to living out her faith, which was an essential part of her identity. Like so many other transgender people, I am grateful for Aimee’s courage and willingness to put herself on the line to stand up for the dignity and equality of all people.”
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the LGBTQ community’s most vulnerable. https://www.nclrights.org