The first known transgender rights lawsuit alleging Americans with Disabilities Act discrimination based on the condition of gender dysphoria can move forward, a federal judge ruled. 

U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Leeson's opinion denying outdoor retailer Cabela's motion to dismiss the ADA portion of Kate Lynn Blatt's lawsuit comes nearly a year-and-a-half after argument was heard on the issue, in December 2015. Transgender rights advocates are calling the ruling a significant step forward in transgender legal protections.

Blatt, a transgender employee experiencing gender dysphoria who was fired by Cabela's, sued the company under the ADA for allegedly forcing her to use the men's bathroom at work, claiming her colleagues called her "ladyboy," "fag," "freak" and "sinner."

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P.J. D'Annunzio

Reporter at the Legal Intelligencer covering public corruption, federal courts, and breaking news.

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