Donald Trump pledges to revoke Joe Biden’s safeguards for transgender students “immediately.”
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Former President Donald Trump has made it clear that if he were to be re-elected, he would take swift action to roll back transgender student protections put in place by the Biden administration. In a recent interview on a conservative talk radio show, Trump stated that he would sign an executive order on his first day back in office to reverse the protections put in place by President Joe Biden.
The protections in question were part of an executive order signed by Biden in 2021, which aimed to ensure that all students are guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination based on sex, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This executive order directed the Department of Education to review existing federal sex discrimination laws to address protections for LGBTQ+ students and others.
In response to Biden’s executive order, the Department of Education unveiled new rules regarding Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools. These new rules require schools to allow students to use facilities, names, and pronouns that match their gender identities. However, the rules do not address the issue of transgender students participating in sports teams that align with their gender identities.
The Trump administration spent four years pushing back against the legal argument that laws banning discrimination based on sex also prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. In 2017, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued guidance stating that Title IX did not protect LGBTQ+ students, contradicting a previous guidance from the Obama administration.
If re-elected, Trump has outlined several plans to further restrict transgender rights in the country. He has promised to cut federal funding for schools that promote Critical Race Theory and what he called “transgender insanity.” He also pledged to stop gender-affirming care for minors nationwide and impose severe consequences on educators who suggest to children that they could be transgender.
Additionally, Trump vowed to investigate pharmaceutical companies and hospitals to see if they covered up long-term side effects of gender transitions. He also pledged to deny Medicare and Medicaid access to doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors. Despite Trump’s claims, gender-affirming care is considered safe, essential, and effective by major medical associations.
If re-elected, Trump is expected to follow Project 2025, a blueprint developed by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation. This plan includes reinstating the transgender military ban, ending protections for transgender individuals in education, workplaces, and healthcare, and defining gender as male or female and fixed at birth.
Trump has also promised to end all federal diversity, equity, and inclusivity programs, which would impact numerous organizations and groups dedicated to serving marginalized communities. This move would eliminate funding for programs aimed at promoting diversity and inclusivity in various sectors.
Overall, Trump’s plans for restricting transgender rights if re-elected have sparked concerns among LGBTQ+ advocates and allies. The potential rollbacks could have significant implications for the transgender community and their access to essential rights and protections. It remains to be seen how these proposed changes would impact the lives of transgender individuals in the United States.
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