Legal Voice

?? Ready to take on 2025 with us? You can support our work by making a donation online:?https://lnkd.in/gUQ9TtFs

On Nov. 15, the Supreme Court will decide whether to review our challenge to Idaho’s anti-trans sports law. We’re proud to be collaborating with the ACLU, the ACLU of Idaho, and Cooley LLP on the case. To read our brief that explains why the Supreme Court has no legal basis to get involved, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gdBdfwpX

White supremacy and Christian nationalism pose significant threats in the Pacific Northwest as well. At the Unite Against Hate conference in Spokane, we met with allies across the region to share expertise and discuss strategies for change. Legal Voice’s Lee Tremblay and Sarah Tompkins spoke with Kristin Beneski?and Jen Jackson Quintano on a panel about abortion access. They covered key laws and ongoing lawsuits, discussed the challenges of organizing in Idaho, and shared powerful stories about people's experiences with abortion. Thank you to American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State for organizing this much-needed event.

We're excited to introduce our new development coordinator, Paulina Orrantia Burboa! Paulina was born and raised in Mexico City, and she moved to Seattle to study at the University of Washington. Last June, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science and English literature. Like her studies, her work has been interdisciplinary. She worked in both immigration advocacy and civic engagement while at UW. Now, in addition to working at Legal Voice, she's a communications intern for an environmental nonprofit. During her free time, Paulina enjoys reading, learning new languages, and finding hidden gems at thrift stores.?

Supporters of Washington's Initiative 2081 call it a "Parents' Bill of Rights." But really, it's part of a nationwide effort to attack 2SLGBTQ+ youth, youth access to healthcare, and inclusive education. It's hard to imagine that the initiative would have passed if it was honest about what it does. It strips away long-held youth privacy rights. It threatens access to life-saving care. And it makes it difficult for school staff to talk about anything related to diversity. It would be one thing if the initiative disclosed its true effects — but it doesn't. As a result, it violates the Washington State Constitution. (According to article II, section 37, new laws must identify if they change existing laws.) Together with The ACLU of Washington, we're suing the state of Washington to block I-2081. Most recently, we filed a motion for summary judgment, asking the judge to decide the case. Visit our website to learn more about the case and read our motion: https://lnkd.in/gkGRvvcx

Join us for an evening of conversation with both old friends and new! This gathering is a celebration of you — our donors, volunteers, board members, staff, intake committee members, pro bono counsel, advisors, contractors, consultants, interns, social media followers, partner organizations, and supporters. You are the heart of Legal Voice! We’ll also take a moment to honor those who have made history. Let’s raise a glass to Kim Clark and the monumental work she did for reproductive justice. We stand on her shoulders, and her legacy is one we will carry forward. There’s no cost to attend, and we’ll have food and beverages from Off the Rez. Feel free to bring a friend!?RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gbuKpVP9

The opening party for "Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy" is tonight, Oct. 11! Opening day is tomorrow. Thank you for featuring us as a community partner in this exhibition, Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP).

A fetus becomes a legal person when they are born. But there's a growing movement to confer legal personhood on fetuses, zygotes, and even fertilized eggs. The dangers are serious. If a legal person exists every time a sperm and an egg meet, there's no end to what the state can say a pregnant person can and can't do. Recently, our senior reproductive health and justice counsel, Wendy Heipt, went to New York to confront the issue with our allies. The convening, Personhood and Pregnancy, was organized by Pregnancy Justice and New York University School of Law's Birnbaum Women's Leadership Center and Reproductive Justice Clinic. The event brought together 75 academics, litigators, and others from across the nation. Together, they explored the threats that legal fetal personhood presents and explored ways to work together on solutions. To learn more about the history of the legal fetal personhood movement, visit our website. Wendy and longtime Legal Voice contract attorney Julia Littell created this comprehensive timeline:?https://lnkd.in/gJJjiDyN

The final two LIZZIE performances are Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5! Learn more and get tickets: https://lnkd.in/eeHVnxxS

We regained access to our Instagram account on Sunday, Sept. 29! We closely monitored the account while it was hacked, and it looks like there was no activity. If you received any messages from our account while it was hacked, please notify us immediately. We’re very excited to be back with you all!?