Sexuality and the Law Commons^™

Transsexual And Intersex Athletes, Erin Buzuvis

Faculty Scholarship

In her chapter, the Author examines the impact of both past and present policies enacted by many sport organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on intersex and transsexual athletes. At the root of many of these policies, and therefore the issues, are the binary gender system and the concern that fraudulent competitors could gain an advantage relative to the rest of the field. While no longer mandatory, women athletes are still subject to varying degrees of sex verification testing on a case-by-case basis, as evidenced by the 2009 testing of South African runner, Caster Semenya.

Recent policies point …

Brief Of Amici Curiae Professors Nan D. Hunter, Et Al., Addressing The Merits In Support Of Respondents, Nan D. Hunter, Suzanne B. Goldberg

Faculty Scholarship

In this amicus brief filed in United States v. Windsor, pending before the Supreme Court, amici constitutional law professors argue that all classifications that carry the indicia of invidiousness should trigger a more searching inquiry than the traditional rational basis test under the Equal Protection Clause would suggest. Classifications that already receive heightened scrutiny, such as race or sex, fit easily into this approach. But the Court’s equal protection jurisprudence has become muddied in a series of cases in which it says rational basis review, but appears to do a more rigorous review. Sexual orientation classifications seemingly were analyzed …

A Visual Guide To United States V. Windsor: Doctrinal Origins Of Justice Kennedy’S Majority Opinion, Colin Starger

All Faculty Scholarship

After finding the Court had jurisdiction, Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion in United States v. Windsor reached the merits and concluded that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was in violation of the Fifth Amendment. In his dissent, Justice Scalia attacked the majority’s doctrinal reasoning on the merits as “nonspecific handwaving” that invalidated DOMA “maybe on equal-protection grounds, maybe on substantive due process grounds, and perhaps with some amorphous federalism component playing a role.”

This Visual Guide is a “doctrinal map” that responds to Scalia’s accusation by charting the doctrinal origins of Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion. Specifically, the map shows how …

An Unlikely Feminist Icon?: Justice Harry A. Blackmun's Continuing Influence On Reproductive Rights Jurisprudence, Sarah Primrose

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article examines Justice Harry Blackmun's pivotal role in the landmark *Roe v. Wade* decision, which legalized abortion in the United States and significantly advanced women's reproductive rights. Despite his initial reluctance to take on the case, Blackmun's opinion established a woman's right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment, balancing this right against state interests. The decision has had profound and enduring implications for women's autonomy and equality, though it has also faced persistent challenges and critiques, including concerns about its constitutional basis and the arbitrariness of the trimester framework. The article highlights Blackmun's personal background and jurisprudential approach, emphasizing …

The Extension Of The Presumption Of Legitimacy To Same-Sex Couples In New York, Alexandra Eisman

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that the presumption of legitimacy, a cornerstone of family law, should be extended to same-sex couples to ensure legal equality and protect the rights of their children. It critiques the traditional application of the presumption, which excludes same-sex couples, and advocates for its evolution to align with modern legal trends and the best interests of children. The analysis emphasizes the importance of legislative and judicial action to address the disparities faced by same-sex families under current laws.

Pregnancy Discrimination In Higher Education: Accommodating Student Pregnancy, Emily Mcnee

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that despite Title IX's protections against sex discrimination, pregnant students in higher education continue to face subtle discrimination, particularly through rigid academic policies that fail to accommodate pregnancy-related needs. It advocates for clarifying Title IX regulations to explicitly require schools to provide accommodations, drawing parallels to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) model, to ensure equal educational opportunities for pregnant students.

Unlikely Partners: Tort Law As A Tool For Trans Activism, Courtney Sirwatka

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that tort law reform and trans activism can mutually benefit each other by addressing systemic discrimination and advancing equality for trans individuals. It critiques the legal system for perpetuating discrimination through its emphasis on physical injury over emotional or sexual harm and its refusal to validate trans identities. The analysis proposes that recognizing sexual autonomy and reproduction as protected interests in tort law, along with legal education reforms, could legitimize trans narratives and lead to meaningful change.

Reflections On Sexual Liberty And Equality: "Through Seneca Falls And Selma And Stonewall", Nan D. Hunter

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This Essay uses the opportunity to examine Roe v. Wade forty years after it was decided and Lawrence v. Texas ten years after it was decided as a platform from which to analyze the status of the civil rights paradigm in American law. A comparison of the two decisions illustrates an important and new point about how civil rights law is deployed to achieve very different goals.

The Incoherence Of Marital Benefits, Robin West

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

En route to finding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) an unconstitutional violation of the Fifth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Windsor v. United States gave short shrift to one of Congress's primary arguments in defense of the Act: that the federal government has a compelling interest in limiting federal marriage benefits to opposite-sex couples because traditional marriage has the laudable purpose-or function-of channeling the heterosexual sex that creates children into a way of life that provides the optimal environment for the rearing of those children. In other words, DOMA aims to minimize irresponsible …

Securing Equal Access To Sex-Segregated Facilities For Transgender Students, Harper Jean Tobin, Jennifer L. Levi

Faculty Scholarship

If Title IX is to have any real meaning for transgender students, it must protect a student's ability to live and participate in school as a member of the gender with which they identify. This means that students must be permitted to use gender-segregated spaces, including restrooms and locker rooms, consistent with their gender identity, without restriction. Denial of equal access to facilities that correspond to a student's gender identity singles out and stigmatizes transgender students, inflicts humiliation and trauma, interferes with medical treatment, and empowers bullies. A student subjected to these conditions is, by definition, deprived of an equal …

United States V. Windsor And The Role Of State Law In Defining Rights Claims, Ernest A. Young

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court’s recent decision in United States v. Windsor is best understood from a Legal Process perspective. Windsor struck down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”), which defined marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman for purposes of federal law. Much early commentary, including Professor Neomi Rao’s essay in these pages, has found Justice Kennedy’s opinion for the Court to be “muddled” and unclear as to its actual rationale. But the trouble with Windsor is not that the opinion is muddled or vague; the rationale is actually quite evident on the face of …

“Rugged Vaginas” And “Vulnerable Rectums”: The Sexual Identity, Epidemiology, And Law Of The Global Hiv Epidemic, Aziza Ahmed

Faculty Scholarship

AIDS remains amongst the leading causes of death globally. Identity is the primary mode of understanding HIV and organizing in response to the HIV epidemic. In this Article, I examine how epidemiology and human rights activism co-produce ideas of identity and risk. I call this the "identity/risk narrative ": the commonsense understanding about an identity group's HIV risk. For example, epidemiology offers the biological narrative of risk: anal sex and the weak rectal lining make men who have sex with men more vulnerable to HIV; while the fragility of a woman's vaginal wall provides a biological foundation for women's vulnerability. …

Adult Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And The Statute Of Limitations: The Need For Consistent Application Of The Delayed Discovery Rule, Gregory G. Gordon

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Harmless Amusement Or Sexual Harassment: The Reasonableness Of The Reasonable Woman Standard, Penny L. Cigoy

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Images Of Men In Feminist Legal Theory , Brian Bendig

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Forcing The Issue: An Analysis Of The Various Standards Of Forcible Compulsion In Rape, Joshua Mark Fried

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recovered Memories, Extended Statutes Of Limitations And Discovery Exceptions In Childhood Sexual Abuse Cases: Have We Gone Too Far?, Jorge L. Carro, Joseph V. Hatala

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

How (Not) To Talk About Abortion, Meredith Johnson Harbach

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

"There's No Place Like Home" Doma Deportation: The Forced Expatriation Of Bi-National Same-Sex Couples From The United States To Canada, Anh "Annie" Nguyen

San Diego International Law Journal

This comment will focus on bi-national same-sex couples who are forced to expatriate from the united states to canada because of DOMA’s detrimental effects on their relationship. more specifically, part I focuses on DOMA’s constitutionality, effects on bi-national same-sex couples, and current legal challenges. Part II provides a historical analysis of the united states’ attitude towards same-sex unions before describing current legislation regarding same-sex couples. Part III describes canada’s recognition of same-sex marriage and support of immigration equality, comparing and contrasting the canadian approach with the united states’ approach. Part IV explains the current legal and financial issues that bi-national …

Fanning An Old Flame: Alienation Of Affections And Criminal Conversation Revisited, Jill Jones

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.