Julie Chovanes, a Chestnut Hill lawyer who championed transgender rights and won landmark cases for the transgender community, died Jan. 7 of a heart attack. She was 64.
Her family said in a statement that Chovanes was "known for her faith in God, bravery, warmth, big hearty laugh, authenticity and unwavering commitment to making the world a better place."
Born in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Chovanes attended Lower Merion High School and earned both undergraduate and law degrees from Villanova University. She began her career at the global law firm DLA Piper, working at One Liberty Place on cases involving land use, zoning, real estate, cyber law, product liability, patent litigation and copyright law.
In 2003, Chovanes left DLA Piper to establish Chovanes Law LLC. The firm initially focused on patent, science and business law before transitioning exclusively to transgender rights law. She also founded and served as executive director of Trans-Help, a nonprofit organization providing legal services to transgender individuals and public education about transgender communities.
Chovanes came out as transgender in 2014. In a 2015 interview with the Chestnut Hill Local, she spoke about the challenges facing the transgender community.
"Being transgender isn't about sex or sin or anything but being a person," she said. "It is about having a biological condition that is mocked and cursed by so much of the world."
She cited stark statistics about discrimination: "90% of us are harassed, mistreated or discriminated against on the job, or simply have to hide who we are at work. 53% of us are harassed or disrespected in places of public accommodation, including hotels, restaurants, buses, airports and government agencies."
The impact of rejection was severe, she noted. "57% of us experience significant family rejection. 41% of us attempt suicide compared to 1.6% of the general population." These rates increased for those who lost jobs due to bias (55%), were harassed in school (51%), had low household income or were victims of physical assault (61%) or sexual assault (64%).
Transgender individuals face unemployment rates up to four times the national average, particularly affecting people of color. "Your average trans person is dying for help, is dying to be recognized," Chovanes told the Philadelphia Gay News in 2020. "It's such a horrible lifestyle; we become sex workers, we become physically unable to deal with life and hide in our houses."
One of her most significant legal victories came in Doe v. Dallas, which overturned Pennsylvania's ban on transgender Medicaid care. The ruling ensured state coverage for medications and hormones for transgender individuals.
In 2017, amid the changing political landscape, Chovanes spoke about increased challenges. "Our community, the trans and LGB community, was worse off, even under the Obama administration, than everyone else," she told Philadelphia magazine. "And now, with the new Trump administration, we have to cope with a federal government determined to make us the bleeding edge in this cultural war."
She continued advocating for local protections: "I'd like to at least be safe in my home city, the City of Freedom, of love for all its people. Because none of us chose who we are. We have to do as well as we can with it, with us and with each other."
Chovanes married Martha, a fellow Villanova lawyer, in 1988. After living in Ardmore, Chovanes moved to Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood in 2015, where she was often seen walking her two large dogs, Aragorn and Legolas. The couple separated in April 2017 and later divorced.
A family member described her as "a complex individual. Her best traits were that she was funny, smart and would give you the shirt off her back. She was passionate about civil rights, particularly transgender rights."
Chovanes is survived by four children: Kathryn, Anna (spouse: Josh), Zander and Caroline; grandchildren Ellie and Anna June; her former spouse, Martha Chovanes; her dogs Aragorn and Legolas; three brothers, sister-in-law and their partners and children.
A funeral service was held Jan. 25 at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Ardmore. Burial followed at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to The Mazzoni Center, 1348 Bainbridge St., Philadelphia, PA 19147.
Len Lear may be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com
