Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Alphonso David responded to the tragic news that Aimee Stephens, plaintiff in R.G. & G.R. HARRIS FUNERAL HOMES v. EEOC and AIMEE STEPHENS, passed away.

“Aimee Stephens will be remembered as a trailblazer. All of us in the LGBTQ community owe her immense gratitude for her bravery in standing up for the right of LGBTQ people to live as ourselves at work and in every aspect of our lives,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “After being fired by her employer when she told them she was transgender, she was determined to fight back and took her case all the way to the Supreme Court, where it is pending. Aimee will always be a hero to transgender and non-binary people and to the entire LGBTQ community. We share our deepest condolences with all of her friends and family, and especially her wife, Donna Stephens.”

Stephens worked as a funeral director at R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes. When she informed the funeral home’s owner that she was transgender, the business owner fired her, saying it would be "unacceptable" for her to appear and behave as a woman. Her case is now pending before the Supreme Court.