Chase Strangio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chase Strangio
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Strangio in 2022
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| Born | October 29, 1982 |
| Education | Grinnell College (BA) Northeastern University (JD) |
| Employer | American Civil Liberties Union |
| Known for | Transgender rights activism |
| Children | 1 |
Chase Strangio (born October 29, 1982) is an American lawyer and activist. He works to protect the rights of transgender people. He is a deputy director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Strangio was the first known transgender person to argue a case before the Supreme Court of the United States.
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Early Life and Education
Strangio grew up in a Jewish family. His hometown was near Boston, Massachusetts.
He went to Grinnell College and graduated in 2004. After college, he worked as a paralegal. This job helped him learn about legal work.
Strangio then attended Northeastern University School of Law. While in law school, he shared that he is a transgender man. He finished law school in 2010.
After law school, he received a special fellowship. This helped him continue to develop his legal skills.
Career and Activism for Rights
After law school, Strangio worked as a public defender. He worked with Dean Spade, who was the first openly transgender law professor in the U.S. Spade's work had inspired Strangio.
In 2012, Strangio helped start the Lorena Borjas Community Fund. This fund helps transgender people with bail money.
Working at the ACLU
Strangio began working for the ACLU in 2013. The ACLU is a group that works to protect people's rights.
He was a main lawyer for Chelsea Manning. Manning is a transgender U.S. Army soldier. Strangio also helped a transgender student named Gavin Grimm. Grimm was not allowed to use the boys' restroom at his school.
Strangio worked on the case Obergefell v. Hodges. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that same-sex marriage must be allowed in every state.
Supreme Court Cases
In October 2019, Strangio was a lawyer for Aimee Stephens. She was a transgender woman who was fired from her job. This case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
He also worked on the case Bostock v. Clayton County. In June 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that it is illegal to fire someone because they are transgender or gay. This was a very important decision for LGBTQ+ rights.
In November 2020, Strangio had a public discussion about a book. He later deleted a tweet about it. He said he was not speaking for the ACLU at that time.
Strangio has appeared on many TV shows. These include The Rachel Maddow Show and PBS NewsHour.
Fighting for Transgender Youth
Since 2021, Strangio has worked with the ACLU to fight against new laws. These laws try to stop children from getting gender-affirming care. This care helps transgender youth.
On December 4, 2024, Strangio made history. He became the first known transgender person to argue a case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The case was United States v. Skrmetti. It challenged a law in Tennessee. This law stopped transgender minors from getting certain types of gender-affirming care.
Before the court case, Strangio wrote an article for The New York Times. He explained how gender-affirming medical care saved his own life. In June 2025, the Supreme Court decided that the Tennessee law did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
In 2025, a documentary film about Strangio premiered. It is called Heightened Scrutiny. The film shows his work on the United States v. Skrmetti case.
Awards and Recognition
Strangio has received many honors for his work.
- In 2014, he was named to the Trans 100 list. This list recognizes people who help the transgender community.
- In June 2017, he was on NBC Out's "#Pride30" list.
- In May 2018, his college, Grinnell College, gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
- In November 2019, he received the Stonewall Award from the American Bar Association.
- In 2020, Time magazine included him in its "Time 100" list. This list features the 100 most influential people in the world.
Personal Life
As of 2021, his partner is Kimberly Drew. She is an art curator and writer. As of 2022, Strangio lives in New York City. He has one child.
