Trump Blocked Off Federal Protection For Transgender Students
The Trump administration is back at it again with their discriminatory policies. This time around, the LGBT community took a major hit when President Donald Trump ordered to lift the federal protections that were once in place, which allowed transgender students to use the bathroom that matched their gender identity, reports CNN.
READ: The NBA Has Concerns About A North Carolina Anti-LGBT Law
“The Department of Justice has a duty to enforce the law. The prior guidance documents did not contain sufficient legal analysis or explain how the interpretation was consistent with the language of Title IX. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice therefore have withdrawn the guidance,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated.
Back in May 2016, former President Barack Obama’s administration enforced that nondiscrimination laws grant transgender students those rights. However, the Department of Justice and Department of Education announced on Tuesday (Feb. 22) that they needed to take a closer look at those previously mandated guidelines and the policy’s legal details.
READ: Discrimination, Violence & Death: The Reality For Transgender Women Of Color In 2015
In an effort to ease the situation, education secretary Betsy DeVos issued a statement that the education department, “remains committed to investigating all claims of discrimination, bullying and harassment against those who are most vulnerable in our schools… I consider protecting all students, including LGBTQ students, not only a key priority for the Department, but for every school in America.”
DeVos statement on withdrawal of federal guidelines on transgender bathrooms in schools: https://t.co/aHIzH6h8LO pic.twitter.com/KLiJBh7krT
— David Wright (@DavidWright_CNN) February 23, 2017
Luckily, the news didn’t come without some pushback from the Attorney General, and several governors from different states, who promise to support their transgender students.
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) February 23, 2017
Trump initially expressed his support of these protections in the past during his campaign when he stated people should, “use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate,” reports Politico.
Upon hearing the news, trans-activists like writer Janet Mock, and actress Laverne Cox, took to social media to support to the trans community.
