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Supreme Court uses a transgender woman's pronouns in a landmark decision

In a unanimous decision, the court sided with a transgender Guatemalan woman fighting deportation.

The United States Supreme Court

Amidst the backdrop of a passionate cultural debate over transgender rights, the Supreme Court has made a landmark ruling that uses a transgender woman's pronouns and chosen name. A ruling written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson refers to Estrella Santos-Zacaria, a transgender woman who was given the name Leon Santos-Zacaria and assigned male at birth, as “she.”

The court sided with Santos-Zacaria, 34, in a case centered around a migrant’s rights to appeal a denial of protection from removal from the U.S. The court's unanimous ruling now gives Santos-Zacaria another chance to contest the immigration officials' rejection of her plea to stay in the U.S.

Throughout the 19-page opinion, Jackson used the term “her” to refer to the petitioner seven times and referred to her as “she” in the opening sentence.

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States rush in where angels fear to tread.

Following the Supreme Court draft leak indicating the court's plan to overturn Roe v. Wade, supporters on both sides of the issue are making their opinions known across social media. Then there's the proposed laws coming out of some states, as well as trigger laws that will take effect immediately. When Roe v. Wade was challenged, the argument was centered around saving the unborn from abortion, but as new laws are discussed, more questions are being raised, especially concerning states with high poverty rates.

Louisiana has proposed a law that would classify voluntarily terminating a pregnancy as homicide and remove all exceptions for abortion; it also gives an egg personhood from the moment of fertilization. This means that even before the fertilized egg implants into the uterus, it is considered a child and terminating pregnancy would be considered homicide. A sweeping law like this could affect birth control devices and medical procedures that help a person become pregnant, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Birth control such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) might not be permitted as they do not stop eggs from being fertilized. The proposed law would also rule out the Plan B, sometimes known as the “morning after pill,” which is an emergency contraception in the event that another form of birth control fails, birth control is forgotten, or worse, a sexual assault occurs.

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Cory Booker gave Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing the joyful recognition it deserves.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has spent the past three days being interviewed by members of the U.S. Senate as they consider her nomination for Supreme Court justice. As expected, it has been ugly at times, with some members of Congress attempting to paint her in a negative light.

Jackson came into these hearings as one of the most qualified candidates ever, and she has handled everything thrown at her with grace, poise and barrels full of patience. Someone serving on the highest court in the land should have the temperament to handle questions and concerns without erupting into emotional outbursts, so her collectedness is not unexpected. At the same time, it can't have been easy to be grilled for hours on end, especially when you know certain politicians are determined to make you out to be someone you're not.

Jackson's nomination is also historically significant. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. Considering the fact that 96% (110 out of 115) of the Supreme Court justices up to now have been men and 97% (112 out of 115) have been white, representation on the nation's highest court has been woefully imbalanced, which is why President Biden made it a point to chose a Black woman out of all of the well-qualified candidates as his nominee.

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Judge Brown's husband couldn't hold back his tears as she showered him with praise.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's opening statement to the Senate as she's being considered for a spot on the U.S. Supreme Court was powerful. If confirmed, Brown would become the first Black woman to serve on the country's highest court. Even these confirmation hearings are historic—a fact that Brown herself acknowledged.

“During this hearing, I hope that you will see how much I love our country and the Constitution, and the rights that make us free," she said. "I stand on the shoulders of many who have come before me, including Judge Constance Baker Motley, who was the first African American woman to be appointed to the federal bench and with whom I share a birthday."

But Brown's tribute to her family—and their reactions to it—were the highlight of the first day of the hearings for some, because how utterly sweet can you get?

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