No matter what happens with #TitleIX guidance, we must uplift #trans students and let them know they’re loved 💛 #protecttransyouth #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/8MyrOUYdTT
— GLSEN (@GLSEN) February 22, 2017
By now you’ve probably heard of the most recent community to be targeted, discriminated against and disenfranchised by the Trump administration is transgender students. In reversing federal protections put in place by President Obama that allowed trans students to use the restroom that corresponded with their gender identity.
According to the New York Times, In a joint letter, civil rights officials from the Justice Department and the Education Department rejected Obama’s position that nondiscrimination laws require schools to allow these students to use the bathroom of their choice. The letter said the protection was enacted “without due regard for the primary role of the states and local school districts in establishing educational policy.”
Interestingly enough, Betsy DeVos, the new Secretary of Education was against the policy and told Donald Trump that was uncomfortable with rescinding the protections because of the potential harm to transgender students. But with Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, they forged ahead. He could not move forward without her consent, so he went straight to President Trump, who sided with Sessions and told DeVos in a meeting in the Oval Office that he wanted her to drop her opposition. Faced with the option of resigning or defying Mr. Trump, she agreed to go along with it.
And while DeVos was persuaded, there are quite a few people outside of his cabinet who are not too happy about the decision, considering the fact that it’s blatant discrimination and all. Activists, celebrities, educators, politicians and late-night talk show hosts all shared their opinion about the issue. See what they had to say on the following pages.
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