Southern Legal Counsel Inc

Southern Legal Counsel's Transgender Rights Initiative (TRI) is leading the efforts to defend the rights, dignity, and safety of transgender people in Florida. At a time when the transgender community is facing unprecedented legal and political attacks, our TRI attorneys are on the front lines challenging the discriminatory anti-trans laws, rules, and policies to hold the state accountable. 

We utilize federal impact litigation, individual representation, and community education and training to dismantle systemic barriers that oppress transgender Floridians. We have challenged nearly every major anti-trans policy enacted in Florida in recent years, including the infamous "Don't Say Gay/Trans" law, the gender-affirming care bans and restrictions, the Medicaid ban on treatments for gender dysphoria, the bathroom ban, the teacher pronoun ban, and more. We have won hard-fought trial victories in the federal courts and have exposed the animus and bias behind the state's efforts to strip transgender Floridians of their constitutional rights. 

In addition to impact litigation, we provide direct legal assistance to transgender individuals facing discrimination in employment, healthcare,  and education, and those in need of assistance in accessing legal name changes and accurate identification documents. We also educate and empower the community to self-advocate through presentations and know-your-rights trainings that reach thousands of people; and we provide myriad trainings for service providers, advocates, legal aid and pro bono attorneys, medical and mental health professionals, school staff, and many others to equip them with the knowledge and skills to provide affirming services to the transgender community. 

The stakes have never been higher, and this work is needed more urgently than ever before. With your support on Give OUT Day, we can continue defending the rights and lives of transgender Floridians, and fighting for a future where everyone can exist authentically.