WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of its long-standing obsession with attacking LGBTQ+ students, the Trump administration announced today that – effective tomorrow, September 29 – it would erase from the books a Biden-era Title IX rule – a rule that clarified the scope of protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as for pregnant and parenting students, and strengthened protections for all students in educational activities and programs.
Specifically, the move restores rules from the first Trump administration to colleges and universities that would stifle the voices of survivors of rape and sexual assault and make it easier for perpetrators to get away with it. The old rules have been sharply denounced by advocates and survivors of sexual assault and abuse who, unlike the Trump administration, actually care about the safety of women and girls.
Moreover, in a further display of contempt for the rule of law and democratic governance, the administration denied the public any opportunity to comment on the dangers of returning to these previous rules and announced that the changes would take effect tomorrow. In typical Orwellian fashion, the administration says that “engaging in public communication and comment would be a good thing.” opposite to the public interest. »
“Title IX is simply about protecting students and ensuring they are safe from abuse, harassment, and discrimination while they pursue their education. But Donald Trump and his cronies care about none of that.” said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “Donald Trump’s Department of Education has completely lost sight of this mission. Instead of imposing protections on students, they’re rolling them back. They don’t care that sexual harassment and assault aren’t being addressed. And they’re happy to defund school districts and states that are actually trying to keep students safe. We know who will be hurt: women, girls, and others vulnerable to sexual harassment, assault, and abuse — including LGBTQ+ students. For them to abandon this rule in place abruptly, without a comment period, depriving families, educators, loved ones, and the students themselves of a say in how they should be treated, shows how little they care about the safety of our students.
“This is a monstrous injustice, and it shows how critical it is that we act in next November’s election to begin to bring some accountability to an administration that has turned its back on the very students Title IX was written to protect.” »
The Department of Education under the Trump administration has abandoned its duty to protect girls and women from gender discrimination and sexual violence in schools. Despite receiving a record number of complaints, this spring the Department had not resolved any complaints of sexual violence or sexual harassment since taking office. Instead, they ignored the very real pending complaints before them and proactively targeted schools to protect LGBTQ+ students.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with more than 4 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen, and supported where it matters most: at school, at work, and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, stories and actions, working to create a future rooted in fairness, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.
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