A Virginia appeals court has ruled in favor of a transgender student, saying that the federal law Title IX protects the rights of students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Student Gavin Grimm has been fighting for two years for the right to use the male restroom at his school. He spoke with TV station WTKR when the suit was first filed in 2014.

Gavin Grimm: “It was terrifying to come out. I worried for my safety. You know, I was scared, but I came to find out that I didn’t have anything to be afraid of. It’s just simply that I need to use the restroom like any other human being. And I shouldn’t be forced to use a restroom that I don’t belong in.”

Tuesday’s ruling is the first time a federal appellate court has ruled that Title IX protects transgender students’ right to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. LGBT activists say the ruling could have major impacts on recently passed anti-trangender laws, such as North Carolina’s House Bill 2, known as the “bathroom bill.”