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Casey Parks

@caseyparks.bsky.social
11K followers 243 following 571 posts

Author of “Diary of a Misfit: A Memoir and a Mystery.” Washington Post reporter. I cover the PNW + all things gay and trans.

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Reposted by Casey Parks
Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
A new lawsuit filed today in D.C. addresses the "purge" of a trans woman from the military under the Trump administration whose lawsuit claims that she is "the highest-ranking Marine Corps officer subject to this purge" and alleges that her retirement pay was inappropriately reduced.
4. LtCol Trainor is the highest-ranking Marine Corps officer subject to this purge.
5. Having transitioned, LtCol Trainor is not allowed by the Hegseth Policy to remain
in the Marine Corps. It is impossible for a transitioned transgender Marine to meet any exception
to the Hegseth Policy. She can either "choose" to leave voluntarily or "choose" to be thrown out.
Either way, she'll be out. Unlike more junior transgender Marines, LtCol Trainor has the option of any Marine with at least 20 years creditable service, transgender or not, to put in for regular retirement. So, although she strongly preferred to stay in the Marine Corps, LtCol Trainor sought regular retirement as the least damaging path forward. Her application was approved with an
effective retirement date of June 1, 2027 at which point she would retire at the rank and retirement
pay of a Lieutenant Colonel.
6. However, on May 29, 2026, seven months after the retirement approval, and
without any explanation or valid supporting authority, the Deputy Commandant for Manpower
and Reserve Affairs (hereinafter the "M&RA Action") precipitously advanced LtCol Trainor's retirement date to November 1, 2026. Five days later, she was relieved of her duties and placed on administrative absence. The M&RA Action reduced LtCol Trainor's retirement pay - for the
rest of her life - to that of a Major. The M&RA's Action also portended that, because she is
transgender, LtCol Trainor could be labeled as a risk to national security in her DD-214 - a
document that a separated or retired Veteran carries around the rest of their life. Such a stigma isdevastating for anyone seeking employment in law enforcement, government contracting or any
other job that implicates trust or security. So, although LtCol Trainor tried to retire with dignity and respect, the opposite occurred. She was effectively busted down in rank and slated for an exit from the Marine Corps that is normally seen only in misconduct cases.
7. LtCol Trainor brings this action seeking a declaratory judgment that the Hegseth Policy as applied to Plaintiff is unconstitutional because it violates Plaintiffs' right to Due Process under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, both because it denies Plaintiff the equal protection of the law and because it deprives Plaintiff of her property and liberty without due
process of law. Plaintiff seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief against Defendants'
enforcement of the Hegseth Policy against LtCol Trainor. LtCol Trainor also seeks a declaration that the March 29, 2026 M&RA Action violates the Administrative Procedure Act ("APA"), 5,
U.S.C. § 551 et seq., because it is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law. Plaintiff seeks an order from the Court setting aside the March 29, 2026 M&RA Action and preliminarily enjoining it or staying it pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 705 during the pendency of this case as well as issuing a permanent injunction that sets aside and enjoins the March 29, 2026 M&RA Action at the
conclusion of this case.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Hi! I'm a Washington Post reporter who covers the PNW and LGBTQ issues. I'm looking for some good stories to launch on this fall -- ideally deeply personal profiles that illuminate larger issues. If you have ideas, please get in touch!
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 31/08/2026
Late last week, the HHS released a report claiming to show a link between "transgender ideology" and political violence. Among other bizarre features of this unpublished, non-peer reviewed paper it included a grand total of 13 transgender people. assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
assignedmedia.org
HHS Touts Online Survey of 13 Trans People as Evidence Trans Acceptance May Cause Violence - Assigned Media
Digging into the latest propaganda from our nation’s health experts.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Chloe Shapiro planned to spend her entire life in the military. When the Trump administration kicked her out for being trans, the only solace she had is the military promised to pay her $90,000 in severance. Instead, the gov never paid and she wound up homeless: wapo.st/3Sl9JFz
wapo.st
A trans veteran became homeless after the military didn’t pay her severance
Chloe Shapiro is one of a dozen former service members identified by The Washington Post who have waited months for full payments.
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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 26/08/2026
In all the talk of trans women & basketball, I wanted to share this profile I wrote of the Basketdolls, an all-transfemme pickup basketball league in Brooklyn. I would love to see the Liberty shout them out or donate to them in some way. This story was selected for The Year’s Best Sportswriting 2025
self.com
Let’s Hear It for the Dolls: A Day Shooting Hoops With Brooklyn’s Trans Basketball League
“You can play hard and have fun without the fear that you’re going to have to deal with pushback from someone.”
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Looking for people whose lives where changed (for better or for worse) by Charlie Kirk's death a year ago. Send me some tips?
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 11/08/2026
Trans men used the bathroom they were required to use in Kansas under their new incredibly severe statewide bathroom ban. As a result, the police were called on them. They call themselves the Kansas Compliance Crew. Subscribe to support our journalism.
erininthemorning.com
Police Called on Trans Men Using Women's Restroom As Required By Kansas Law
“As a trans man, I have the immense privilege of blending in. But these laws force me to choose between safety and obeying the law.”
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Sean Fitzsimons @seanfitzsimons.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
The perfect weekend read by @caseyparks.bsky.social "The mall rink where they fell in love and skated for nearly 60 years is closing" www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...
washingtonpost.com
The mall rink where they fell in love and skated for nearly 60 years is closing
Jerry and Tally Leonard have thrilled shoppers and open-skate crowds for decades at the Lloyd Center in Portland, Oregon. Now, they’re not sure how they will fill the void.
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Gabriel Malor @gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
UPDATE: 7th Cir. has vacated the below decision, blocked the district court's injunction, and ordered that the case be heard initially en banc, meaning they're taking it away from the merits panel. A bad sign for AAP, which is trying to stop Florida from accusing them of RICO for trans advocacy.
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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Since this WaPo story is paywalled, you might also enjoy as a substitute reading my reporting on the same situation in May. assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
assignedmedia.org
Seattle Organizers Rally for State of Emergency as Trans People Flee Oppression - Assigned Media
Mutual aid networks are stressed and breaking, with no sign the influx of internal refugees is slowing.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
A huge wave of trans people have fled red states for Seattle at a time when the nonprofits who help them are seeing big declines in grants and donations. The Seattle LGBTQ commission asked the mayor to declare a state of emergency. My story (gift link!): wapo.st/3SGc4dY
wapo.st
Trans people are fleeing red states for Seattle. The city can’t keep up.
Since the 2024 election, a nonprofit has helped 1,500 trans people settle in Seattle — more than 20 times the 70 people it aided before the election.
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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
I just broke out crying in my apartment while updating my tracker because I stopped to read this piece by @caseyparks.bsky.social on drag king Elsie Saldaña. This was so beautifully and sensitively told, if you missed it last week read it now. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...
washingtonpost.com
She’s the world’s oldest drag king, and still hoping for her big break
Elsie Saldaña was born too early to have the life she longed for, but desire didn’t disappear with age.
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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Biruté Galdikas, authority on orangutans, has died. She was one of ‘Leakey’s Angels. Along with Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall, Dr. Galdikas, 79, made ground-breaking discoveries about one of humankind’s closest primate relatives. By Casey Parks Gift link! @caseyparks.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
Biruté Galdikas, authority on orangutans, has died. She was one of ‘Leakey’s Angels.’
Along with Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas, 79, made ground-breaking discoveries about one of humankind’s closest primate relatives.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Expanding my Washington Post reporting job a little to include more coverage of young people generally -- up to around age 26. Send me any story ideas you have! I especially love deep profiles that explain a broader issue. I'm less into trend stories, more into news-related things. Hit me up!
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
My colleague @byelliesilverman.bsky.social has a great story out about Jan. 6. I don't want to give too much away, but you should definitely read this gift link: wapo.st/4jqPmQa
wapo.st
He was attacked on Jan. 6. Can he make sense of it for the kids he teaches?
Nathan Tate was a D.C. police officer defending the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Now he’s trying to find the lesson in it.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
A year and a half ago or so, I read that an entire stadium in Tacoma had booed a trans runner. I wanted to know more. She was 16, and she had stood on a podium in one of the country’s most liberal states and listened to 10,000 people boo her. What I learned surprised me: wapo.st/49lnBUK
wapo.st
For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing
Verónica García overcame poverty to become a high school track champion — twice. It made her famous for all the wrong reasons.
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Brian Goldstone @brian-goldstone.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
"The win had changed her life, but not in the ways she had hoped." A devastating, deeply moving story by my dear friend @caseyparks.bsky.social about how poverty, politics, and cruelty shaped a trans teenage runner's world.
washingtonpost.com
For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing
Verónica García overcame poverty to become a high school track champion — twice. It made her famous for all the wrong reasons.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
In discussing her "Protect Children's Innocence Act" / nationwide trans ban today, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene keeps referencing surgeries. Genital surgeries almost never happen on minors (I know of only one from the last decade) and top surgery is also rare. 1/
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
I'm looking to follow a young couple as they decide whether to get married. I'd love to talk to people where one person in the couple is ready and the other thinks they need to have more financial stability. Think The Ultimatum but with data and facts instead of soap-y edits. Any leads?
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Portland: I'll be out Saturday documenting the fallout if SNAP does indeed not go out. Where should I go? Some of my coworkers are going to food banks, so I'm looking for different ideas.
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The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 09/10/2025
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
If you're curious about what's going on outside the Portland ICE administrative building, a local station is livestreaming for 24 hours today: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE-W...
youtube.com
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Lillian Mongeau Hughes @lmonghughes.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
White House: “The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now, with President Donald J. Trump mobilizing federal resources to stop Antifa-led hellfire in its tracks.” www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...
oregonlive.com
President Trump likens what’s happening in Portland to World War II, calling city ‘a nightmare’
“The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now," the White House announced.
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Emily Guskin @emgusk.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
Cassandra Wilson is a military veteran and the primary caregiver for her Trump-supporting family. She is determined to change negative perceptions about trans people. @caseyparks.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
A transgender woman uses humor to try to change minds in coal country
Cassandra Williamson is a transgender woman, and a military veteran, who writes a satirical blog hoping to change attitudes about the trans community.
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Michelle Boorstein @michelleboorstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
She's a veteran of the Marine Corps and the Navy, the caregiver to three Trump-loving relatives, and a transgender woman. @caseyparks.bsky.social interviewed Cassandra Williamson about her satirical blog: “A Day in the Life of a Transgender Terrorist" www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
washingtonpost.com
A transgender woman uses humor to try to change minds in coal country
Cassandra Williamson is a transgender woman, and a military veteran, who writes a satirical blog hoping to change attitudes about the trans community.
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Michelle Boorstein @michelleboorstein.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
“'War-ravaged' Portland was having an unseasonably sunny September day..a long line at the homemade bread stand, cherry trees still blooming..It was the kind of day [that] called for rosé, not federal force." @caseyparks.bsky.social on Trump's latest crusade www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
washingtonpost.com
Is Portland ‘War-ravaged’ as Trump claims? Here’s what residents say.
President Donald Trump had said living in Portland, Oregon, was like “living in hell.” Portlanders mostly met the news with confusion.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
A judge in Massachusetts today issued what I think is the first judgment against the DOJ's attempt to subpoena doctors who treat trans patients. The judge quashed the subpoena the DOJ issued against Boston Children's Hospital, home to the country's first gender clinic for adolescents.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
Subpoenas made public this week show the government is demanding doctors turn over a wide range of sensitive, identifiable data about its trans patients — everything from social security numbers to Zoom records, notes, addresses, "everything written or recorded." Our story: wapo.st/4lAnkRy
wapo.st
Government’s demand for trans care info sought addresses, doctors’ notes, texts
Legal experts said the Justice Department subpoenas related to medical care for transgender minors appear to be unprecedented.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
This decision "goes further than Skrmetti, rejecting the plaintiffs' parental rights claim — the issue not decided by the Supreme Court in Skrmetti — and a First Amendment claim brought by medical providers."
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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
A story designed to break my heart specifically: "The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota. They sold it and moved after a new law would have required their daughter to use a boy’s bathroom."
wapo.st
A family opened a town’s first bookstore. A bathroom bill is driving them away.
The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota. They sold it and moved after a new law would’ve required their daughter to use a boy’s bathroom.
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Jill Lawrence @jilldlawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
An amazing piece in the @washingtonpost.com about a family with a trans daughter, driven out of South Dakota by a bathroom law. The good journalism will keep coming no matter what. It can't be stopped. Gift link 🎁 wapo.st/4m3PuFP
wapo.st
A family opened a town’s first bookstore. A bathroom bill is driving them away.
The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota. They sold it and moved after a new law would’ve required their daughter to use a boy’s bathroom.
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naeo.bsky.social @naeo.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
You really should appreciate the fact there are good people working at the Washington Post, yes Bezos’ and Post leadership have been cowards, but little by little if these stories make it out, we’ll all be better for it. Saying you won’t read the Post is no different than book banning.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Anti-trans laws don’t only affect trans people and their families. In Vermillion, South Dakota, a bathroom ban nearly cost a town its only bookstore. Then a young trans couple stepped up. My latest for @washingtonpost.com — wapo.st/4m3PuFP
wapo.st
A family opened a town’s first bookstore. A bathroom bill is driving them away.
The Phelans ran the only bookstore in Vermillion, South Dakota. They sold it and moved after a new law would’ve required their daughter to use a boy’s bathroom.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Wow. The Florida AG has subpoenaed a restaurant in Vero, Florida, that hosted a drag event — and he is demanding the restaurant turn over the name of everyone who attended. Did you attend or know someone who did? Hoping to find someone to interview about this unparalleled ask.
myfloridalegal.com
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Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
So yesterday I learned about Ava Cordero, a transgender woman who, in 2007, sued Jeffrey Epstein alleging he sexually abused her when she was 16. Her lawsuit was filed in 2007 while Epstein was negotiating a plea deal in Florida for abusing other girls, but her claims were mocked and dismissed
Pages of the NY Post from 2007 featuring Ava Cordero under the headlines "GENDER BENDER SHOCKER" and "S(HE) HAS A HISTORY"
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Half a dozen gender care providers in blue states have announced in the last week or so they are shuttering their programs. I'm hoping to talk to families who uprooted their lives and moved to one of these states for care and now face losing it again. Happy to find ways to protect your identity!
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
I've been watching the FTC workshop in which government officials and others laid out the reasons they believe doctors who treat trans kids are committing "fraud." Some examples? Miriam Grossman, a child psychologist who has opposed gender care for nearly 20 years, says pronoun stickers are fraud.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Last week, Children's National Hospital in DC shut down its gender transition care program for adolescents due to "escalating legal and regulatory risks." Today, UChicago announced it was shuttering its program, too.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
My colleagues followed a trans asylum seeker as she self-deported back to Honduras: wapo.st/40WtTq6
wapo.st
An asylum seeker abandons her claim and leaves Trump’s America
Kataleya Nativi Baca, permitted in 2021 to stay in the country while her claim was being decided, was awaiting an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
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Theresa Gaffney @theresagaff.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
The DOJ has issued “nearly 20 subpoenas” to clinics that provide gender-affirming care, per DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle, who spoke at an all-day FTC workshop focused how the federal government might continue its crusade against trans health care. I watched: www.statnews.com/2025/07/09/d...
statnews.com
Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care
A Justice Department official said it has issued “nearly 20 subpoenas” to clinics that provide gender-affirming care.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
I love the way this story is written. Did not know I cared about this issue but then I could not stop reading because Jesse did such a great job. One of my favorite colleagues!
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Looking for new stories to report/write this summer! Send me tips for anything gay, trans, or teenager-related! I’d love to find a family that is moving because of anti-trans laws and follow the kid as they start a new school. We can discuss privacy concerns! The Post is usually good about that.
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gwen howerton @kissphoria.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Houston has a really awesome trans community and I'm glad to see it featured here.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
I have a new story out! It's about a woman transitioning and finding hope in ... Houston, Texas. I hope y'all will read it! www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
washingtonpost.com
Finding hope at Drag University
As their state tries to ban some drag performances, Texans are studying ways to keep the shows — and their community — going.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Nice little story by @shaneisland.bsky.social on Pattie Gonia -- www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/0...
washingtonpost.com
Why drag queen Pattie Gonia is werking from the mountaintops
She may be the only drag queen who lip-synchs to Greta Thunberg.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
For the last six months, I have been profiling a trans girl in Washington who runs track. She was heartbroken when Gavin Newsom called trans girls' participation in California "deeply unfair." Last month, she won 1st place in the Washington girls 400M and 10,000 people booed her. But ...
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 18/06/2025
One bright spot for trans people in Montana: Today's SCOTUS decision does not touch Montana. That's because Montana overturned its gender affirming care ban through the state Supreme Court. States are allowed to have protections that go beyond the US constitution, and thus that ruling is unaffected.
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Last night, hours before SCOTUS allowed a ban on trans young people's healthcare, the Trump administration told @thetrevorproject.bsky.social it has to shut down its suicide and crisis hotline. The government announcement calls it an "LGB" hotline - eliminating the people who may need it most today
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Casey Parks @caseyparks.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
We are updating the @washingtonpost.com story now on the Skrmetti ruling, but I wanted to share a few feeds from my interviews today. First, HRC's senior legal director says there are still MANY pathways for fighting laws that target trans people.
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