Aimee Stephens, Plaintiff In Transgender Civil Rights Case, Dies

MICHIGAN — Aimee Stephens, a Metro Detroit woman who was the focus of the first case about the civil rights of transgender people to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, died Tuesday. She was 59.

The ACLU issued a statement on Stephens death on Twitter, writing that while she didn't set out to be a trailblazer, she was one.

"We all owe her a debt of gratitude for her commitment to justice for all people, and her dedication to the trans community," the group tweeted.

Stephens had worked for nearly six years as a funeral director at R.G. and G.R. Harris Funeral Homes when she was fired for being a transgender woman, according to previous reports by the ACLU. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Aimee’s employer engaged in unlawful sex discrimination when it fired her because she’s transgender.

Stephens struggled with kidney disease in recent years, according to reports by The Detroit News.

"Those who met Aimee Stephens know that her power was in her humbleness and sincerity," the ACLU said in a statement on Twitter. "She has been an inspiration to millions of people around the world. We mourn with Aimee's wife Donna, their daughter Elizabeth, and all of you. And we honor her life by fighting onward."

Several people have taken to Twitter to voice condolences and respect for Stephens.

The LGBTQ community owes Aimee Stephens our deepest gratitude for her bravery in standing up for the right of LGBTQ people to live as ourselves. We share our condolences with all of her friends & family, and especially her wife, Donna Stephens. https://t.co/wbMJpMgERu

— Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid) May" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/AlphonsoDa... 12, 2020