In 2021 and 2022, the Leonard Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation awarded grants to the ACLU of Connecticut to help fund its civil rights case on behalf of Veronica-May Clark, an incarcerated person suing the CT Department of Corrections on the grounds that they had failed to treat her gender dysphoria for years. We firmly believe that Trans Rights are Human Rights, even if—or especially if—a person is incarcerated.
These kinds of civil rights lawsuits can often snail their way through the court system, with both sides filing a variety of motions to make their case. Happily, in September 2023, in a comprehensive ruling, Judge Vanessa Bryant found in favor of Ms. Clark. While the decision has been appealed by the state, this decision means that Ms. Clark is one step closer to getting the critical care that she needs.
This is an important example of how the Leonard Litz Advocacy Fund is intended to be used to help support specific projects aimed at advancing progress for LGBTQ+ people broadly. Ms. Clark’s case will affect not only her own healthcare, but will hopefully help ensure that every single LGBTQ+ person in Connecticut is treated with dignity and equity.
Bravo to Ms. Clark, and to the entire team at ACLU-CT! You can read the full statement from ACLU-CT here.