In response to the release of the U.S. Department of Education’s Final Rule under Title IX, The Trevor Project shared the following statement:
Statement from Casey Pick (she/her), Director of Law and Policy at The Trevor Project:
“The new rules issued today indicate an important step forward in protecting LGBTQ+ students from being discriminated against at school, simply for being themselves. The Trevor Project’s research found many LGBTQ+ students have reported a variety of negative experiences at school, including being verbally harassed, being disciplined for fighting back against bullies, and facing violence and mistreatment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We are grateful to see that this administration is working hard to make all students safer, and more included at school.
However, this Final Rule does not include language to explicitly protect transgender and nonbinary student athletes from discrimination – and that must be addressed. 64% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported being discriminated against in the past year due to their gender identity, and dozens of states across the U.S. have implemented laws that ban these young people from participating in school sports. The goal of Title IX is to protect all students from discrimination at school – and that very much includes school sports. Every student should be afforded the same opportunities at school, no matter how they identify. We urge this administration to clarify that Title IX protects transgender and nonbinary student athletes, and give all students an equal chance to learn, be themselves, and succeed at school.”
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
