Key facts
- A judge ruled that transgender people will not face criminal charges for using public restrooms in Idaho that match their gender identities.
A U.S. district judge has placed a hold on key provisions of a controversial Idaho law that would have criminalized transgender people for using public restrooms aligning with their gender identity. The ruling cites the law's vagueness and potential for unconstitutional enforcement.
The ruling provides immediate relief to transgender individuals in Idaho, preventing them from facing criminal charges for using restrooms aligned with their gender identity while the broader legal challenge against the state's restrictive law proceeds.
A U.S. district judge has blocked the enforcement of key provisions of a controversial Idaho law that would have criminalized transgender individuals for using public restrooms that align with their gender identity. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Amanda Brailsford, addresses a law signed by Republican Governor Brad Little in March, which was set to take effect July 1.
The law, stricter than similar measures in at least 19 other states, applied to restrooms in public places, including private establishments open to the public, and stipulated criminal penalties, including up to a year in jail for a first offense and up to five years in prison for a second offense.
Plaintiffs, including six transgender Idaho residents represented by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union, argued that the law was unconstitutionally vague. Judge Brailsford largely agreed, stating that the law could not be enforced against individuals using single-stall restrooms or when no single-user restroom was available and unoccupied on the same floor as a multi-user facility.
Lambda Legal lawyer Kell Olson stated the ruling would allow transgender people to use public restrooms without fear of arrest while the legal fight against the discriminatory law continues. The ACLU echoed this sentiment, calling the preliminary injunction a vital first step.
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador announced his intention to appeal the ruling, asserting that biological sex and the law are not vague and that the decision misapplies the law. He indicated that the law could still take effect regarding changing rooms and some restrooms, and for people who are not transgender.