UMVA has learned that a federal judge has dealt a significant blow to Idaho's law that sought to criminalize transgender bathroom use, issuing a preliminary injunction that blocks the law from taking effect.
The law, known as H.B. 752, had threatened to jail transgender people for up to five years if they used restrooms that did not match their biological gender. However, US District Judge Amanda Brailsford, a Biden appointee, has ruled that this law is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the law was set to go into effect on July 1, but thanks to the judge's ruling, transgender people in Idaho can now use public restrooms without fear of arrest or persecution. This decision marks a major victory for the LGBTQ+ community and their advocates.
The ACLU has welcomed the ruling, with Paul Carlos Southwick, ACLU of Idaho Legal Director, stating that it means "trans folks in Idaho can continue participating in public life without the threat of being arrested for using the bathroom." This decision has brought relief to many in the transgender community who had been anxiously awaiting the outcome.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the ruling has been hailed as a significant step forward in the fight for transgender rights. The law had been criticized for its draconian measures, which would have forced transgender people to choose between the threat of arrest and the threat of harassment and violence.
Kell Olson, Counsel with Lambda Legal, has noted that the Constitution provides critical protections against laws that are unclear and threaten imprisonment. The court's decision to grant a preliminary injunction is a vital first step in the longer fight to permanently defeat this discriminatory law in court.
The ruling has put on hold enforcement of key components of the law, which had been adopted in March and was set to take effect on July 1. For now, transgender people in Idaho can find and use a public restroom without fear of arrest looming over them.
