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Chase Strangio
Chase Strangio
Chase Strangio
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Chase Strangio (/strænˈdʒiːoʊ/[1] born October 29, 1982)[2] is an American lawyer and transgender rights activist. He is the deputy director for transgender justice[3] and staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).[4][5] He is the first known transgender person to make oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States.[6]

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Strangio grew up in a Jewish family outside of Boston, Massachusetts.[7]

Strangio attended Grinnell College, graduating in 2004.[8] After graduation, he worked as a paralegal at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).[5][7] He went on to attend Northeastern University School of Law.[9][8] Strangio came out as a transgender man while in law school.[7]

After graduating from Northeastern in 2010, Strangio received a fellowship from the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) to continue developing his legal skills.[5]

Career and activism

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After law school, Strangio worked as a public defender for Dean Spade, the first openly trans law professor in the U.S.[7] Spade's work had inspired Strangio while he was in college.[5]

In 2012, Strangio and trans activist Lorena Borjas founded the Lorena Borjas Community Fund to provide bail and bond assistance to trans people.[9][5]

In 2013, Strangio began working for the ACLU.[8] Strangio served as lead counsel for the ACLU team representing transgender U.S. Army soldier Chelsea Manning.[4][5] He was also part of the team suing on behalf of trans student Gavin Grimm, who was denied access to the boys' restrooms at his school.[4][10]

He worked on Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that every state must allow same-sex marriage.[11]

In October 2019, Strangio was one of the lawyers representing Aimee Stephens, a trans woman who was fired from her job at a funeral home, in the U.S. Supreme Court case R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Those oral arguments were heard alongside Bostock v. Clayton County, on which Strangio was also a lawyer.[12][13] The previous month, trans actress Laverne Cox brought Strangio as her date to the 2019 Emmy Awards, and the pair spoke to reporters on the red carpet about the upcoming court case.[14][15][16]

In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided 6–3 in favor of Gerald Bostock, a gay man terminated from his job due to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, in Bostock v. Clayton County. The court ruled that it is illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of transgender identity or sexual orientation.[17][18]

In November 2020, journalist Glenn Greenwald criticized Strangio's comments about the book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier. Strangio, who had tweeted that "stopping the circulation of this book and these ideas is 100% a hill I will die on," responded that he was not speaking for the ACLU and said he deleted his tweet because "there were relentless calls to have me fired, which I found exhausting as I was navigating work and childcare."[19][20] According to the New York Times, Strangio's tweet had "startled traditional backers [of the ACLU], who remembered its many fights against book censorship and banning".[21]

Strangio has appeared on television programs including The Rachel Maddow Show,[22] Democracy Now!,[23] For the Record with Greta,[24] AM Joy,[25] PBS NewsHour,[26] and Up.[27]

Since 2021, Strangio has worked with the ACLU to fight against state legislation seeking to prohibit children from accessing treatment for gender transition.[28] On December 4, 2024, he became the first known transgender person to make oral arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Skrmetti, a case brought to challenge a Tennessee law prohibiting certain forms of gender-affirming care (including puberty blockers and hormone therapy) for transgender minors.[29][30] In the days ahead of oral arguments, Strangio published an op-ed in The New York Times describing how having access to the forms of gender-affirming medical care prohibited by the Tennessee law saved his own life.[31] In June 2025, the Supreme Court held that the Tennessee state law banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.[32]

In 2025, a documentary by Sam Feder featuring Strangio, Heightened Scrutiny, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film documents Strangio's work on the United States v. Skrmetti case.[33][34]

Views

[edit]

Strangio has described himself as "a constitutional lawyer who fundamentally doesn't believe in the Constitution." He has called civil marriage "a fundamentally violent institution." Strangio disagrees with the idea that transgender women could be born with a male body, saying there is no such thing as a "male body" and that "A penis is not a male body part. It's just an unusual body part for a woman."[35]

Honors and recognition

[edit]

In 2014, Strangio was named to the Trans 100 list for "outstanding contributions to the trans community".[36][37]

In June 2017, Strangio was one of those chosen for NBC Out's inaugural "#Pride30" list.[4]

In May 2018, Strangio was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by his alma mater Grinnell College.[38]

In November 2019, he was awarded the American Bar Association's Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity's 2020 Stonewall Award.[39]

Strangio was included in 2020's Time 100 most influential people in the world.[40]

Personal life

[edit]

His partner is the art curator and writer Kimberly Drew (as of 2021).[41] As of 2022, Strangio lives in New York City and has one child.[28]

References

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Further reading

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Chase Strangio

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from Grokipedia
Chase Strangio is an American civil rights attorney specializing in transgender-related litigation, serving as co-director of the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBT & HIV Project. A graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Grinnell College, Strangio joined the ACLU in 2013 after working as an Equal Justice Works fellow and director of prisoner justice initiatives at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, where he represented transgender, gender-nonconforming, and intersex individuals with psychiatric disabilities in custody. He has litigated high-profile cases expanding interpretations of sex discrimination laws to encompass gender identity protections, including R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC, which contributed to the Supreme Court's 2020 ruling extending Title VII safeguards to LGBTQ employees. In December 2024, Strangio made legal history as the first openly transgender lawyer to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti, challenging Tennessee's law prohibiting healthcare providers from administering puberty blockers or hormone therapies to minors for gender dysphoria treatment. His advocacy, which includes efforts to block state restrictions on such interventions and criticisms of media coverage questioning youth transitions, has earned accolades like inclusion in TIME's 2020 list of the 100 most influential people but has also sparked debate over the ACLU's prioritization of transgender issues amid accusations of de-emphasizing traditional free speech defenses, such as in responses to books and whistleblower accounts raising concerns about rapid-onset gender dysphoria.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Upbringing

Chase Strangio grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, in a white, upper-middle-class Jewish family during the 1980s and 1990s. Her parents, Joan and Mark, divorced when she was in tenth grade and younger brother Noah was in sixth grade, around the late 1990s. The family was sports-obsessed, with her playing on the girls' soccer team during high school. She has described the upbringing as fitting into suburban norms, without early awareness of gender incongruence, stating in a 2019 interview that it was not a case of a "tortured childhood" where transgender identity was immediately apparent. She graduated high school in 2000, recognizing queerness around that time but transitioning later during law school.

Academic Training and Transition to Law

Strangio received a bachelor's degree in history from Grinnell College in 2004. Following undergraduate studies, she enrolled at Northeastern University School of Law as a public interest scholar. During law school, Strangio came out as a transgender man, an experience that informed his subsequent focus on transgender legal issues. He has reflected that this period involved apprehensions about navigating a traditionally gendered profession while grappling with his identity. Strangio graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 2010. This academic foundation, combined with his personal transition, directed Strangio toward legal advocacy addressing barriers faced by transgender individuals, such as access to public facilities and employment protections, rather than broader corporate or litigious practice. His emphasis shifted to civil rights litigation, marking the onset of a career prioritizing transgender equality over conventional legal paths.

Professional Career

Initial Legal Work and ACLU Entry

Following his graduation from Northeastern University School of Law in 2010, Strangio began his legal career at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP), a New York City-based organization providing legal services primarily to low-income transgender people and people of color. There, he initially interned before taking on roles including an Equal Justice Works fellowship and serving as Director of Prisoner Justice Initiatives, where his work focused on advocacy for incarcerated transgender individuals, including challenges to prison policies on housing, medical care, and solitary confinement. This position involved direct client representation and policy reform efforts aimed at addressing systemic barriers faced by transgender prisoners, such as inadequate access to hormone therapy and gender-affirming accommodations. In 2013, Strangio joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as a staff attorney in its Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and HIV Project (now the LGBTQ & HIV Project), marking his entry into a national platform for civil rights litigation. His initial responsibilities at the ACLU centered on transgender rights cases, building on his SRLP experience by litigating against discriminatory policies in areas like employment, education, and healthcare. This transition positioned him to contribute to high-profile federal challenges, including early efforts to expand protections under the Equal Protection Clause for transgender individuals.

Rise to Leadership Roles

Strangio joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2013 as a staff attorney in the LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project, focusing on impact litigation and advocacy for transgender rights. His early tenure involved representing clients in challenges to discriminatory policies, building a track record that elevated his profile within the organization. By 2020, Strangio had advanced to Deputy Director for Transgender Justice within the same project, overseeing strategy on transgender-related cases amid a surge in state-level restrictions targeting gender identity issues. In this role, he coordinated national litigation efforts and served as lead counsel in high-stakes matters, including representation of transgender individuals in employment and military contexts. The promotion reflected his expertise in federal and state courts, where he argued against policies perceived by the ACLU as infringing on transgender access to healthcare and public facilities. On July 25, 2024, the ACLU announced Strangio's elevation to Co-Director of the LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project, alongside James Esseks, expanding his responsibilities to encompass broader LGBTQ advocacy beyond transgender-specific issues. This leadership position positioned him to direct the project's overall litigation and policy agenda, including preparations for arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in cases like U.S. v. Skrmetti. The appointment underscored his two-decade involvement in transgender legal advocacy, from prior work at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project to ACLU successes in cases challenging bathroom bans and gender dysphoria treatments.

Pre-Supreme Court Challenges

Strangio joined the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project in 2013, where he began litigating cases advancing transgender individuals' access to public facilities, employment, and medical care consistent with their gender identity. Early in his tenure, he contributed to legal efforts, following Manning's lawsuit filed in September 2014, leading to the military's approval of hormone therapy in February 2015, with treatment commencing shortly thereafter. Manning, a transgender former U.S. Army intelligence analyst imprisoned for leaking classified documents, was held in military custody at Fort Leavenworth, following her suicide attempts and advocacy highlighting inadequate care for transgender inmates with mental health needs. A significant case was Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board (filed 2015), in which Strangio represented Gavin Grimm, a transgender male high school student barred from using the boys' restroom under a Virginia school policy limiting access by biological sex. The U.S. District Court initially dismissed the claims in May 2016, but following appellate proceedings, the district court ruled in Grimm's favor in May 2018 and August 2019. The Fourth Circuit affirmed in August 2020, ruling 2-1 that the policy violated Title IX's sex discrimination prohibition and the Equal Protection Clause, as it singled out transgender students for disparate treatment without sufficient justification. The Supreme Court denied the school board's certiorari petition in June 2021, leaving the Fourth Circuit's decision intact. Strangio also co-counseled Bostock v. Clayton County (consolidated with related cases, argued October 2019), representing Aimee Stephens, a funeral home employee fired after announcing her transition. Although Strangio did not present oral argument—handled by others—the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in June 2020 that Title VII's ban on sex discrimination encompasses discrimination against transgender employees, as "it is impossible to discriminate against a person for being transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex." This built on lower-court victories, including the Eleventh Circuit's en banc rehearing denial. In response to the Trump administration's directive restricting transgender military service—citing deployability and unit cohesion concerns—Strangio supported ACLU challenges like Doe v. Trump (D.C. District Court, 2017), securing a preliminary injunction in October 2017 that halted the policy's implementation for most service members. Multiple district courts issued nationwide blocks, though the Supreme Court stayed them in January 2019, allowing the ban to proceed amid ongoing appeals; the policy affected an estimated 13,000 active-duty transgender personnel. Strangio's work emphasized equal protection violations driven by animus rather than military necessity. By 2023, amid rising state restrictions on medical interventions for transgender minors, Strangio participated in Brandt v. Rutledge, challenging Arkansas's 2021 law prohibiting gender-affirming treatments like puberty blockers and hormones for those under 18. A federal district court struck down the ban in June 2023 as violating equal protection by irrationally targeting transgender youth while permitting analogous care for cisgender minors with conditions like precocious puberty; this marked the first merits trial win against such legislation, though appeals followed.

U.S. v. Skrmetti and Supreme Court Argument

In United States v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), enacted in March 2023, which prohibits healthcare providers from prescribing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or performing surgeries to minors for the treatment of gender dysphoria, while permitting analogous treatments for other conditions like precocious puberty or congenital disorders. The law was challenged by three transgender minors (L.W., C.B., and S.R.), their families, and a physician, represented by the ACLU and Lambda Legal, who argued it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by discriminating on the basis of sex and transgender status. The United States intervened as petitioner after the Sixth Circuit upheld the law under rational basis review in September 2023, prompting certiorari granted by the Supreme Court in April 2024. Chase Strangio, then co-director of the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project, presented oral arguments on behalf of the respondent families on December 4, 2024, becoming the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court. In his 20-minute presentation, Strangio contended that SB 1 facially classifies based on sex by treating minors differently according to their biological sex and desired gender identity, warranting intermediate scrutiny under precedents like Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), which extended Title VII protections to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity as a form of sex discrimination. He asserted the law failed this scrutiny because it lacked a substantial relation to important governmental objectives, emphasizing that major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and Endocrine Society, endorse gender-affirming care as evidence-based and reversible for minors, with low regret rates compared to other adolescent medical decisions. Justices pressed Strangio on the evolving European evidence reviews—such as the UK's Cass Report (2024), which found insufficient long-term data supporting puberty blockers—and whether the law's differential treatment reflected medical uncertainty rather than discrimination, to which Strangio responded that Tennessee's ban ignored consensus among U.S. providers and parental rights to informed consent. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 18, 2025, upholding SB 1 and similar laws in 25 other states, holding that the ban does not classify on the basis of sex or transgender status under the Equal Protection Clause but instead regulates medical treatments based on age and diagnosis, subject only to rational basis review, which it satisfied given legislative findings on potential harms like infertility and bone density loss. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion, rejecting heightened scrutiny and distinguishing the law from facial sex discrimination, while the dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued it invidiously targeted transgender youth without analogous restrictions on cisgender treatments. Strangio described the decision as a "devastating loss" for transgender families, vowing continued challenges, though it deferred to state authority on regulating experimental interventions for minors amid debates over their efficacy and risks.

Advocacy Positions and Views

Stance on Gender-Affirming Medical Interventions for Minors

Chase Strangio has consistently advocated for unrestricted access to gender-affirming medical interventions, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for transgender minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria, framing such care as medically necessary and supported by expert consensus. In oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti on December 4, 2024, he asserted that these treatments "reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidality" among youth, citing longitudinal studies as evidence of their benefits outweighing risks for appropriately selected adolescents. He further claimed regret rates for post-pubertal minors receiving hormone therapy are approximately 1%, distinguishing these from higher desistance rates observed in pre-pubertal children not yet eligible for such interventions. Strangio emphasized alignment with positions from major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Psychiatric Association, which endorse these interventions as standard care for alleviating gender dysphoria when recommended by physicians. He argued that state bans, like Tennessee's Senate Bill 1 enacted in 2023, unconstitutionally discriminate on the basis of sex and transgender status by prohibiting treatments tied to a minor's birth sex while permitting analogous therapies—such as puberty blockers for precocious puberty in cisgender youth or hormones for other conditions—without similar restrictions. In defending parental authority, he described bans as overriding "the careful judgment of parents who love and care for their children" in consultation with medical professionals, rather than deferring to individualized assessments typical in pediatric medicine. Following the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision on June 18, 2025, upholding Tennessee's ban, Strangio characterized the outcome as "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution," contending it impeded youth from accessing care deemed essential for their well-being. His position aligns with broader ACLU efforts challenging similar laws in over 25 states since 2021, portraying restrictions as ideologically driven rather than evidence-based, despite ongoing debates in medical literature over long-term outcomes and the strength of supporting data from advocacy-affiliated bodies.

Positions on Transgender Access to Sex-Segregated Spaces and Sports

Chase Strangio has consistently advocated for transgender individuals to access sex-segregated spaces, including restrooms, locker rooms, prisons, and sports, based on their gender identity rather than biological sex. In a 2016 article, he rejected characterizations of transgender women entering women's restrooms as "men in women's restrooms," asserting that "when a transgender woman uses a women’s restroom there are still zero men—biological or otherwise—in that restroom. Transgender women are women." He argued that privacy and safety concerns are overstated, claiming biology is "diverse and complex" and that sex assignment should align with self-identified gender, as "the only medically appropriate way to make such an assignment is based on the gender the person knows themselves to be." This position aligns with ACLU challenges to laws like North Carolina's H.B. 2, which restricted restroom access by birth sex. Strangio has extended similar arguments to locker rooms, framing exclusions of transgender girls as rooted in outdated stereotypes akin to historical barriers for cisgender girls in athletics. In a 2019 podcast, he likened opposition to transgender girls in locker rooms to past resistance against girls' participation in sports, emphasizing nondiscrimination under Title IX. The ACLU, where Strangio serves as co-director of the LGBTQ & HIV Project, has litigated to affirm transgender students' rights to facilities matching their gender identity, arguing that such access does not compromise others' safety. On sports participation, Strangio opposes state bans on transgender girls competing in female categories, viewing them as discriminatory and contrary to equality principles. Through ACLU efforts, including cases like Hecox v. Little challenging Idaho's ban, he has supported arguments that such policies violate federal law and lack evidence of inherent unfairness, despite biological males retaining physical advantages like greater muscle mass and bone density post-puberty even after hormone therapy. He has described these bans as part of a "coordinated attack" shifting from restroom restrictions to sports exclusion, maintaining that inclusion fosters health and development without "erasing women." In correctional facilities, Strangio has litigated for transgender women to be housed in women's prisons and receive gender-affirming care, criticizing placements in male institutions as inhumane and unconstitutional. In 2022, he issued a statement demanding an end to the "discriminatory and inhumane treatment" of an incarcerated transgender woman denied such accommodations. ACLU suits under his involvement, such as against federal Bureau of Prisons policies, have challenged directives removing transgender women from women's facilities, advocating instead for identity-based housing to mitigate violence risks—though data from jurisdictions allowing such placements indicate elevated assault rates on female inmates by biologically male transfers.

Controversies and Criticisms

Debates Over Evidence for Youth Gender Treatments

Chase Strangio has advocated for unrestricted access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors experiencing gender dysphoria, framing such interventions as medically necessary and supported by professional consensus from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, during oral arguments in United States v. Skrmetti on December 4, 2024, Strangio conceded under questioning that there is no randomized controlled trial evidence demonstrating that these treatments reduce suicide rates among adolescents with gender dysphoria, and he acknowledged that completed suicides among transgender youth are rare. These admissions highlighted a core contention in the debates: while proponents cite observational studies suggesting mental health improvements, systematic reviews have consistently rated the overall evidence base as low-quality, relying on non-randomized, short-term data prone to bias and confounding factors such as concurrent psychotherapy. The 2024 Cass Review, an independent systematic appraisal commissioned by the UK's National Health Service, evaluated over 100 studies and concluded that the evidence for puberty blockers and hormones in minors is "remarkably weak," with methodological flaws including small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and inconsistent outcome measures on benefits like reduced dysphoria or improved well-being, while noting risks such as irreversible fertility loss, reduced bone density, and uncertain long-term impacts on brain development. This assessment influenced policy shifts in Europe, where countries including Sweden (2022), Finland (2020), and Norway (2023) restricted these interventions to research settings or exceptional cases due to unfavorable risk-benefit ratios absent high-quality evidence. Critics of Strangio's positions, including legal analysts, argue that ACLU litigation overlooks these evidentiary gaps, prioritizing access over caution despite the absence of level-1 evidence (e.g., large-scale RCTs) demonstrating net benefits, and question the reliance on guidelines from bodies like WPATH, which have faced scrutiny for internal documents revealing suppressed data on youth outcomes. In response to bans like Tennessee's—upheld by the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision on June 18, 2025—Strangio maintained that denying care exacerbates harm, yet post-argument analyses noted his testimony undermined claims of empirical urgency, as post-treatment suicide rates remain elevated compared to the general population, with some studies indicating no sustained mental health gains after accounting for comorbidities like autism or trauma. Detractors, including those citing European regulatory reversals, contend this reflects a pattern where advocacy in U.S. courts advances interventions on weaker footing than international standards demand, potentially influenced by institutional pressures in American medical associations to affirm treatments amid activism, rather than evolving data showing high desistance rates (up to 80-90% in pre-pubertal cohorts without intervention). These debates underscore tensions between precautionary approaches favoring watchful waiting—supported by longitudinal data on natural resolution of dysphoria—and affirmative models, with Strangio's legal efforts positioned against a backdrop of 24 U.S. states enacting restrictions by mid-2025 based on similar evidentiary critiques.

Alleged Erosion of Sex-Based Rights and Protections

Critics, including gender-critical feminists and organizations such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, have alleged that Chase Strangio's advocacy through the ACLU for transgender inclusion in sex-segregated spaces and activities undermines protections historically grounded in biological sex differences, such as privacy, safety, and fair competition for females. These claims center on litigation and policy positions prioritizing gender identity over sex-based criteria, potentially exposing biological females to physical disadvantages or risks associated with male physiology, including greater upper-body strength and bone density that persist post-hormone therapy. In the realm of sports, the ACLU under Strangio's involvement defended Connecticut's policy permitting transgender females to compete in girls' categories, as seen in amicus support for Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools. Plaintiffs, four cisgender female track athletes, contended the policy deprived them of titles, podium placements, and scholarship opportunities; between 2017 and 2019, two transgender athletes secured 15 state championships in events like the 100m and 200m sprints, systematically displacing female competitors. Critics attribute this to male puberty conferring irreversible advantages, with empirical reviews indicating 10-50% performance edges in strength and speed even after testosterone suppression. The case, reinstated by the Second Circuit in 2023 after initial dismissal, highlights ongoing debates over Title IX's intent to remedy sex discrimination by ensuring equitable female athletic opportunities. Regarding facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms, Strangio contributed to challenges against restrictions, including Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, where the ACLU successfully argued for transgender students' access matching gender identity, extending to analogous female spaces. Opponents, citing privacy and voyeurism risks, argue such policies erode sex-segregation's protective function against male-pattern intrusion, as evidenced by documented discomfort and rare but notable incidents of misconduct in mixed-sex contexts. Strangio's rejection of terms like "male-bodied" and assertions that no inherent "male body" exists—framed to dismantle biological distinctions—have fueled claims of ideological overreach, potentially nullifying sex-specific safeguards under laws like Title IX. In prisons, ACLU advocacy, aligned with Strangio's transgender justice role, pushes for housing transgender females in women's facilities to mitigate abuse risks in male units, yet critics highlight resulting harms to female inmates from male-bodied transfers. Documented cases, such as assaults by transferred inmates in U.S. and U.K. systems, underscore vulnerabilities, with female prisoners reporting elevated sexual violence rates post-inclusion policies. While ACLU positions emphasize identity-based placement to prevent trans victimization, detractors contend this inverts protections, prioritizing one group's claims over the majority-female prison population's safety amid higher male perpetration of violence. These allegations reflect broader tensions, where sources critiquing erosion often face marginalization in academia and media, institutions with noted ideological skews favoring expansive identity interpretations.

Recognition and Reception

Awards and Professional Honors

In 2014, Strangio was selected as a Trans100 recipient, recognizing outstanding contributions to the transgender community by the Transgender Resource Project. In June of that year, the New York City Council honored him as an Outstanding LGBT Champion. In 2015, he received the Attorneys and Advocates Award from the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, an organization focused on transgender legal support. During summer 2017, Strangio was named to NBCOut's #Pride30 list and received Bitch Media's "Bitch 50" recognition for individuals advancing visibility, equality, or access for women and gender-oppressed people through creative or political work. In November 2017, he was awarded the Callen-Lorde Community Health Award from the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, which provides services to LGBTQ individuals. In 2018, Strangio earned the Excellence in Opinion/Editorial Writing Award from the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists for his written advocacy. That May, Grinnell College, his alma mater, conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree upon him during commencement. He was also named to the National LGBT Bar Association's Top 40 LGBT Lawyers Under 40 list and served as the Northeastern University School of Law Daynard Distinguished Visiting Fellow that winter; additionally, he held the Wasserstein Fellowship at Harvard Law School from 2018 to 2019. In November 2019, the American Bar Association's Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity selected Strangio for its Stonewall Award, given annually to an individual advancing LGBTQ rights in the legal profession. In 2020, TIME magazine included him on its list of the 100 Most Influential People, citing his role in transgender rights litigation including R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC. In 2023, Them magazine named him a Now Awards honoree in the Politics & Activism category for his advocacy amid rising anti-trans legislation.

Broader Public and Critical Assessment

Chase Strangio's advocacy has elicited polarized responses, with supporters in transgender rights organizations and progressive media outlets hailing him as a trailblazing figure for securing legal precedents like the 2020 Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which extended Title VII protections to transgender employees. His designation as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in 2020 underscored this acclaim, emphasizing his role in challenging anti-transgender legislation across multiple states. Documentaries such as Heightened Scrutiny (2025) portray his oral argument in United States v. Skrmetti—marking him as the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court—as a symbol of resilience amid personal threats and online harassment. Critics, including journalists and legal commentators from center-right and gender-critical perspectives, have faulted Strangio's positions for prioritizing ideological assertions over empirical evidence on transgender medical interventions and sex-based distinctions. During the Skrmetti arguments on December 4, 2024, Strangio conceded that suicide rates among transgender-identifying individuals are "thankfully and admittedly rare," a statement interpreted by outlets like City Journal as undermining frequent advocacy claims of elevated mental health crises necessitating unrestricted access to youth treatments. Internal ACLU discussions, as reported in a June 19, 2025, New York Times analysis, revealed Strangio rejecting biological categorizations by stating there is "no such thing as a 'male body'" and describing a penis as "just an unusual body part for a woman," remarks critics argue erode sex-based rights and reflect a departure from observable human dimorphism. Such views have drawn rebukes for allegedly conflating gender identity with immutable sex differences, potentially justifying policies that opponents claim compromise privacy and fairness in sex-segregated spaces. Public discourse reflects broader societal divides, with mainstream outlets often framing Strangio's visibility as a bulwark against perceived conservative overreach, while skeptical voices highlight his criticisms of journalistic scrutiny on transgender issues—such as labeling The New York Times' coverage "insidious" in June 2025—as efforts to suppress debate. The 6-3 Supreme Court upholding of Tennessee's youth care ban in Skrmetti on June 18, 2025, amplified assessments of his strategy as overly expansive, with detractors arguing it failed to address evidentiary gaps in long-term outcomes for minors, as evidenced by European countries like the UK and Sweden restricting such interventions based on systematic reviews. This polarization underscores tensions between advocacy for self-identified protections and concerns over causal impacts on public policy, with Strangio's work frequently cited in transphobic attack narratives by supporters but as emblematic of institutional capture by gender ideology in critical analyses.

Personal Life

Gender Transition and Relationships

Chase Strangio was born female on October 29, 1982. He realized his transgender identity in his early twenties, during law school, after years of discomfort with gendered expectations tied to his birth sex. Strangio publicly came out as a transgender man around that time, amid a relatively more accepting cultural environment compared to his childhood. Strangio has undergone gender-affirming medical interventions, which he describes as transformative, enabling a life marked by confidence, joy, and pursuit of professional goals rather than persistent dysphoria. Specific details of his medical transition, such as timelines for hormone therapy or surgeries, remain private, as he limits discussions of personal experiences even with clients' families seeking parallels. In relationships, Strangio has experienced romantic partnerships, including instances of falling in love and subsequent heartbreak, contributing to his reflections on building chosen family structures. He is currently partnered with writer, artist, and curator Kimberly Drew; the couple has appeared together publicly, including at the U.S. Supreme Court in December 2024. No marriage is documented, consistent with Strangio's past advocacy critiques of marriage as an institution. Strangio co-parents a child, though public details on the child's parentage or living arrangements are limited.

References

  1. https://www.aclu.org/bio/chase-strangio
  2. https://www.equaljusticeworks.org/fellows/chase-strangio/
  3. https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2024/23-477_c07d.pdf
  4. https://magazine.law.northeastern.edu/winter-2025/strangio-makes-history-at-supreme-court/
  5. https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/a-conversation-with-chase-strangio-one-of-the-time100-most-influential-people-of-2020
  6. https://www.independentwomen.com/2020/11/16/some-in-aclu-have-new-cause-book-banning/
  7. https://nypost.com/2024/03/20/opinion/the-aclu-is-shamefully-promoting-ideology-over-free-speech/
  8. https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-ongoing-death-of-free-speech
  9. https://www.newsweek.com/chase-strangio-transgender-lawyer-supreme-court-tennessee-case-1995481
  10. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/12/hero-chase-strangio-what-more-can-i-say/
  11. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/12/23/first-transgender-lawyer-to-argue-before-the-supreme-court/
  12. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/19/chase-strangios-victories-for-transgender-rights
  13. https://www.them.us/story/chase-strangio-trans-rights-advocate-now-awards-2023
  14. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/protecting-trans-rights-chase-strangio-podcast-transcript-ncna1049541
  15. https://www.grinnell.edu/news/aclu-attorney-chase-strangio-lgbtq-rights
  16. https://law.northeastern.edu/pathway/chase-strangio-10/
  17. https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/12/04/chase-strangio-trans-lawyer-massachusetts-supreme-court-tennessee
  18. https://chase-strangio.medium.com/a-letter-to-my-younger-self-402ebfa42296
  19. https://huntnewsnu.com/82033/editors-pick/northeastern-school-of-law-alum-becomes-first-openly-transgender-lawyer-to-argue-before-the-supreme-court/
  20. https://www.advocate.com/politics/2022/6/01/chase-strangio-aclu-cover-twitter-trans-rights
  21. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-attorney-chase-strangio-will-present-argument-at-supreme-court-on-behalf-of-private-plaintiffs-in-upcoming-landmark-transgender-rights-case
  22. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-announces-chase-strangio-as-co-director-of-lgbtq-hiv-project
  23. https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888158/chase-strangio/
  24. https://www.aclu.org/cases/grimm-v-gloucester-county-school-board
  25. https://epgn.com/2021/06/29/the-long-fight-of-gavin-grimm/
  26. https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/191952.P.pdf
  27. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-comment-federal-court-decision-trans-military-ban-case
  28. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-477_2cp3.pdf
  29. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024/23-477
  30. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-lambda-legal-respond-to-supreme-court-ruling-in-u-s-v-skrmetti
  31. https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/the-supreme-court-case-on-trans-health-care-explained
  32. https://www.npr.org/2024/12/04/nx-s1-5215734/supreme-court-gender-affirming-care-trans-kids
  33. https://chase-strangio.medium.com/stop-talking-about-men-in-womens-restrooms-bfa0228b71f8
  34. https://www.aclu.org/cases/carcano-et-al-v-mccrory-et-al
  35. https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/transgender-people-arent-threat-you
  36. https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/the-coordinated-attack-on-trans-student-athletes
  37. https://www.aclu.org/cases/hecox-v-little
  38. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-demands-end-discriminatory-and-inhumane-treatment-incarcerated-transgender-woman
  39. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/advocates-sue-to-challenge-withholding-of-gender-affirming-care-in-federal-prisons
  40. https://www.democracynow.org/2025/6/20/chase_strangio
  41. https://www.city-journal.org/article/aclu-attorney-confesses-transgender-suicide-claim-is-a-myth
  42. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/transgender-youth-skrmetti/683350/
  43. https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jlpp/suicide-suicidality-and-pediatric-medical-transition-in-united-states-v-skrmetti-and-beyond/
  44. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-68863594
  45. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/10/gender-medicine-built-on-shaky-foundations-cass-review-finds
  46. https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2024/05/08/hilary-cass-review-caution-nhs-gender-affirming-care-youth
  47. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26895269.2024.2362304
  48. https://adflegal.org/article/exposing-the-suicide-lie-behind-gender-transition-efforts/
  49. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.07.7.23.a
  50. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/landmark-supreme-court-case-weighs-gender-affirming-care/story?id=116232587
  51. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/appeals-court-declines-to-rule-against-connecticuts-inclusive-policy-for-transgender-athletes
  52. https://clearinghouse-umich-production.s3.amazonaws.com/media/doc/106813.pdf
  53. https://adflegal.org/press-release/ct-female-athletes-forced-compete-males-return-court-after-2nd-circuit-puts-case-back/
  54. https://www.foxnews.com/media/aclu-lawyer-calls-females-non-transgender-women-rant-about-trump-executive-order
  55. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/magazine/scotus-transgender-care-tennessee-skrmetti.html
  56. https://www.nydailynews.com/2021/09/22/transgender-rights-womens-rights/
  57. https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/transgender-prisoners-face-sexual-assault-and
  58. https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=criminal-justice_masters
  59. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7144448/
  60. https://www.reddit.com/r/BlockedAndReported/comments/1iscan8/the_case_against_strangio_the_aclu/
  61. https://www.grinnell.edu/about/leadership/offices-services/treasurer/auxiliary-services/conference-operations/commencement/archives/honorary-degrees
  62. https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/11/aclu-attorney-chase-strangio-to-receive-2020-stonewall-award-/
  63. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/heightened-scrutiny-documentary-chase-strangio-supreme-court-rcna208833
  64. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/20/nx-s1-5466140/a-documentary-follows-the-first-openly-trans-person-to-argue-before-the-supreme-court
  65. https://benryan.substack.com/p/insidious-the-aclus-chase-strangio
  66. https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/01/us/chase-strangio-supreme-court-transgender
  67. https://truthout.org/articles/gender-affirming-care-gave-me-a-life-i-love-why-do-pundits-see-it-as-a-tragedy/
  68. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/10/grinnell-alum-chase-strangio-first-transgender-lawyer-to-face-scotus-us-supreme-court/76865099007/
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