User:Kbabej/sandbox/Gavin Grimm

Gavin Grimm is an American transgender rights activist. He originally came into the spotlight for the lawsuit G. G. v. Gloucester County School Board, where he argued he should be able to use the boys' bathroom at Gloucester High School. In 2017, Grimm was named to the Time 100 with a write-up by fellow transgender activist Janet Mock.

Early life
Grimm was born to parents David and Dierdre Grimm. David works as a trades supervisor at a local shipyard while Dierdre works as a nurse. As a young child, Grimm was diagnosed with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He stated he first realized be was a boy at age two. At age 15, Grimm legally changed his name to Gavin and started his transition by undergoing testosterone therapy.

Activism
During his Sophomore year at Gloucester High School, Grimm came out as transgender to principal Nate Collins at his school. He started using the boys' restroom, which he did for seven weeks before the school board ruled he could not. After the school board's decision, he sued the school with the help of the ACLU. The school offered him the use of the nurse's office bathroom or two single-use restrooms at the school. Grimm stated those options were "unacceptable", stating, "I'm not unisex." The United States Supreme Court agreed to hear Grimm's case in October 2016, "but reversed course in February 2017, once the Department of Justice withdrew Obama-era Title IX protections based on gender identity." They sent the case back down to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against him. In May 2017, Grimm presented an award at the 28th annual GLAAD Media Awards alongside actress AnnaSophia Robb. Robb stated, "First I have to say how proud I am to be standing, and honored to be standing, with Gavin. Your work and bravery has inspired so many people, including myself. If the Supreme Court won’t give you your time, then we will."

Awards and recognition
In 2016, Grimm was named one of Time's most influential teens for 2016. In 2017, Grimm appeared on Time's Time 100. Activist and writer Janet Mock penned Grimm's write-up. Grimm stated, "It's inconceivable. I still haven't really registered it. To have a place immortalized through Time, literally, and in the sense of the publication, is such an honor. To have a transgender youth activist on a list of influential people is a hugely important step forward for transgender advocacy. It sends the message that the story is being told and the message is being heard." In 2017, Grimm was named as a recipient of the Courage Award at the Village Voice Pride Awards in New York City. In 2017, the organization Side by Side named one of its awards the Gavin Grimm Youth Courage Award after Grimm. Side by Side stated "The award, given to one youth (ages 11-20) each year, recognizes the leadership, strength, wisdom, and amazing work of LGBTQ+ youth advocates. The award comes with a $500 honorarium to support the youth and their work. The recipient of this award must be a current youth of Side by Side involved in one of our programs." In April 2017, Grimm was honored at Equality Virginia's annual Commonwealth Dinner alongside congressman A. Donald McEachin and others. In May 2017, Grimm received the Andrew Cray Award from the National Center for Transgender Equality. The NCTE stated, "Gavin is unquestionably a hero of the transgender community. We can think of no better representative for the rights of transgender youth, and we hope to see him continue to achieve great things as he enters adulthood." In June 2017, Grimm was honored with the Gerald B. Roemer Community Service Award for "outstanding contributions to the LGBT community" from the United States Department of Justice. In February 2018, Grimm was awarded the Upstander Award from the Human Rights Campaign.