During Pride Month, Biden Department of Education Says LGBTQ+ Students are Protected by Federal Law

June 16. 2021

For Immediate Release
Jun 16, 2021

Media Contact
Jess Eagle
717-574-2702
[email protected]

The following is a statement from Noreen Farrell, Executive Director, on today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Education that discrimination based on a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity will be treated as a violation of Title IX, the 1972 federal law that protects against sex discrimination in education. The decision is based on last year’s landmark Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton Country protecting gay, lesbian, and transgender people from discrimination in employment. The department concluded that there is no “persuasive or well-founded basis” to treat education differently:

“Today’s policy directive sends a powerful message about the Biden Administration’s commitment to fixing the ravages the Trump Administration and Betsy DeVos wreaked on Title IX enforcement over the past four years. It also stands against proposals in many states to bar transgender girls from school sports. (Click here to tweet at key lawmakers in states with bills attacking trans students.)

Women and girls benefit when we advocate for trans kids and students. When we fight gender discrimination in all its forms, we all win.

Title IX was created to protect every student from gender discrimination, including trans and nonbinary students. It’s appalling that Title IX was ever interpreted to exclude trans students based on their gender identities. That contradicts the very essence of this civil rights law.  

We trust that this fully inclusive interpretation of Title IX will guarantee every student a truly equitable experience in school and school sports, no matter their gender identity. Every student in our country deserves to be fully supported and given equal opportunities to thrive.  

Those of us in the women’s rights movement know that women and girls benefit when we advocate for trans kids and students. When we fight gender discrimination in all its forms, we all win.”