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Kristen Waggoner vs. transgender people

Kristen Waggoner is an American lawyer and anti-transgender acitivist. Waggoner has led anti-trans group Alliance Defending Freedom since 2022.

Background

Kristen Kellie Waggoner was born in 1972 in Longview, Washington to a homemaker and an Assemblies of God minister who was a Christian school superintendent.

Waggoner earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwest University in 1994 and a law degree from Regent University in 1997. Waggoner clerked for Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sander.

In 1998, Waggoner joined Ellis, Li & McKinstry. In 2013, Waggoner joined Alliance Defending Freedom, rising to genderal counsel in 2020 and CEO and President in 2022.

Litigation

Waggoner has represented anti-LGBTQ clients in legal matters often involving the First Amendment.

Arlene’s Flowers dispute begins

  • In March 2013, Washington florist Barronelle Stutzman declined to create floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding. The case, later known as State of Washington v. Arlene’s Flowers, quickly became a major legal battle over religious liberty and anti-discrimination law. Waggoner served as a lead attorney defending Stutzman through multiple appeals over the next eight years. After multiple appeals, including a U.S. Supreme Court remand in June 2018, the long-running Arlene’s Flowers case ended with a settlement on November 9, 2021, concluding nearly a decade of litigation.

Masterpiece Cakeshop litigation

  • Waggoner joined the legal team representing baker Jack Phillips in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. After years of lower-court rulings against Phillips, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court. On June 4, 2018, the Court ruled 7–2 that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had shown hostility toward Phillips’ religious beliefs, marking a major victory for the defense.

Telescope Media Group case

  • In 2016, Minnesota filmmakers Carl and Angel Larsen challenged a state law requiring them to create wedding videos for same-sex couples. Waggoner helped represent them in Telescope Media Group v. Lucero. On August 23, 2019, the Eighth Circuit ruled that the filmmakers’ free-speech claim could proceed, allowing them to decline projects inconsistent with their beliefs.

Brush & Nib Studio case

  • Arizona artists Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski challenged Phoenix’s nondiscrimination ordinance. Waggoner argued the case before the Arizona Supreme Court in Brush & Nib Studio v. City of Phoenix. On September 16, 2019, the court ruled that the artists could refuse custom wedding invitations that conflicted with their religious views.

Creative decision

  • Waggoner argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis on December 5, 2022. On June 30, 2023, the Court ruled 6–3 that Colorado could not compel website designer Lorie Smith to create wedding websites celebrating same-sex marriages.

Anti-trans conversion therapy litigation

  • Waggoner has been involved in challenges to state restrictions on counseling speech, including the case Chiles v. Salazar, which has focused on whether governments can limit certain discussions between counselors and clients.

References

Sayers, Imogen (December 1, 2024). Kristen Waggoner, The Lawyer Who Helped Overturn Roe v. Wade, Is Coming For LGBTQ Rights. Uncloseted Media https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/p/kristen-waggoner-the-woman-who-helped

Anti-trans coverage

Editorial Board (December 14, 2024). Interviewing Kristen Waggoner. The Conservateur https://www.theconservateur.com/interviews-tc/interviewing-kristen-waggoner

Severns, Maggie (December 18, 2025). Kristen Waggoner’s Legal Crusade for Conservative Christian Values. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/kristen-waggoner-alliance-defending-freedom-supreme-court-conservative-christians-19be5bda

Kennedy, John W. (December 23, 2021). Kristen Waggoner Named Legal Counsel. Assemblies of God https://news.ag.org/en/article-repository/news/2021/12/kristen-waggoner-named-legal-counsel

Selected writing by Waggoner

Waggoner, Kristen (October 9, 2025). Supreme Court Weighs Colorado Gender Care Case. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/supreme-court-weighs-colorado-gender-care-case-opinion-10848294

Waggoner, Kristen (October 7, 2025). Colorado’s war on counseling. World https://wng.org/opinions/colorados-war-on-counseling-1759814403

Waggoner, Kristen (June 24, 2025). The Supreme Court Got It Right: Protect Kids From Medical Experimentation. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/supreme-court-got-it-right-protect-kids-medical-experimentation-opinion-2089335

Waggoner, Kristen (June 5, 2025). To end all women’s sports. World https://wng.org/opinions/to-end-all-womens-sports-1749077881

Waggoner, Kristen (April 25, 2025). The vindication of a psychiatrist. World https://wng.org/opinions/the-vindication-of-a-psychiatrist-1745549965

Waggoner, Kristen (2024). Now’s the Time to Defend Women’s Sports Around the World. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/nows-time-defend-womens-sports-around-world-opinion-1972981

Waggoner, Kristen (November 27, 2024). A basic human right for girls to play sports. World https://wng.org/opinions/a-basic-human-right-for-girls-to-play-sports-1732708499

Waggoner, Kristen (August 12, 2024). No country for truth-tellers. World https://wng.org/opinions/no-country-for-truth-tellers-1723459749

Waggoner, Kristen (June 5, 2024). Throwing women under the bus. World https://wng.org/opinions/throwing-women-under-the-bus-1717545523

Waggoner, Kristen (February 8, 2024). A pending human rights violation. World https://wng.org/opinions/a-pending-human-rights-violation-1707342292

Waggoner, Kristen (August 15, 2023). Gender ideology imperils freedom. World https://wng.org/opinions/gender-ideology-imperils-freedom-1692099057

Waggoner, Kristen (July 12, 2023). Mexico’s new Inquisition. World https://wng.org/opinions/mexicos-new-inquisition-1689159784

Waggoner, Kristen (March 9, 2022). Justice for women demands honesty about the nature of sex. World https://wng.org/opinions/justice-for-women-demands-honesty-about-the-nature-of-sex-1646823091

Waggoner, Kristen (November 3, 2021). The whistleblowers of the gender revolution. World https://wng.org/opinions/the-whistleblowers-of-the-gender-revolution-1635936965

Waggoner, Kristen (January 28, 2021). President Biden, Do Our Best Days Really Lie Ahead? Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/president-biden-do-our-best-days-really-lie-ahead-opinion-1563797

Waggoner, Kristen (June 16, 2020). Certainly Uncertain Times. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/certainly-uncertain-times-opinion-1511057

Media

FIRE / So To Speak with Nico Perrino and Kristen Waggoner (October 12, 2023). Episode 197: ‘Are cakes speech?’ with Alliance Defending Freedom’s Kristen Waggoner. https://www.fire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/are-cakes-speech-alliance-defending-freedoms-kristen

Original Jurisdiction with David Lat and Kristen Waggoner (July 12, 2023). A Conservative Legal Crusader: An Interview With ADF’s Kristen Waggoner. https://davidlat.substack.com/p/a-conservative-legal-crusader-an

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

The Federalist Society (fedsoc.org)

Alliance Defending Freedom (adflegal.org)

ADF Action (adfaction.org)

Alliance Defending Freedom International (adfinternational.org)

Young America Foundation (yaf.org)

Focus on the Family (focusonthefamily.com)

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (erlc.com)

Regent University Alumni (regentalumni.org)

  • Kristen Waggoner ’97
  • https://www.regentalumni.org/s/832/22/interior.aspx?sid=832&gid=1&calcid=3851&calpgid=252&pgid=252&ecid=5443&crid=0&cid=5169

Christian Legal Society (clsnet.org)

Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

World News Group (wng.org)

C-SPAN (c-span.org)

Thinq Media (thinqmedia.com)