A group of LGBT employees at the
Department of Justice plans to honor transgender teen Gavin Grimm at
the agency's annual Pride Event.
DOJ Pride will recognize Grimm's
advocacy with its Gerald B. Roemer Community Service Award at the
agency's annual Pride Month Program in its main building on June
28th, BuzzFeed
News reported.
Grimm, who came out in his sophomore
year and graduated earlier this month, challenged his Virginia high
school's policy that prohibits transgender students such as himself
from using the bathroom of their choice. Grimm's lawyers argue that
the policy violates federal civil rights laws.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the
case but sent it back to a lower court after the Trump administration
revoked Obama-era guidance – which was backed by the Department of
Justice – to public schools protecting transgender students.
When asked on Thursday about the plan
to honor Grimm, Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke positively to
staff.
“We are going to have a pride group,
in this very room, I think next week, I believe it is, and so that's
perfectly appropriate,” Sessions
said in response to an intern. “And we will protect and defend
and celebrate that – and protect the rights of all transgender
persons.”