On Wednesday night Donald Trump took action against the rights of trans youth in the United States. Last May the Department of Education under the Obama administration issued guidance to federally funded schools that transgender students are protected against discrimination by Title IX of the US constitution—a law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. This week, Trump reversed Obama's directive with guidance of his own, which essentially stated that Obama's letter was baseless and that the issue of restroom use by trans students is a matter for states and local school districts to decide individually.
Trump's action has been perceived as hostile to the rights of transgender kids, and it quickly became the leading story on publications from NPR to the New York Times. Caitlyn Jenner, a Republican, has spoken out against Trump saying, "this is a disaster," as has Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace, who told the President to "fuck off" in an interview with Rolling Stone.
The ACLU has publicly argued that Title IX still protects trans students, regardless of the guidance issued by Trump—the law hasn't changed. This March, the ACLU will bring the case of Gavin Grimm—a trans boy fighting for bathroom access at his school—to the Supreme Court, where our nation's highest judiciary will determine whether "sex" in Title IX can be interpreted to include trans people or not.
Read more on Broadly
Advertisement