Transgender Students Need Protection from Trump’s Assault on Title IX

Education Policy Brief #196 | By: Evan Wechman | December 21, 2024

Photo by Katie Rainbow 🏳️‍🌈

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Policy Summary:

With President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration just weeks away, many Democrats are anxious about how Trump will treat transgender students.  Back in April, President Biden enacted a new provision to the 1972 Title IX Law, strengthening protections for LGBTQ students and expanding rights for students who may identify with a different gender than the one assigned at birth.

These regulations infuriated the Republican Party, especially devout followers of Trump.  The President-elect has vowed repeatedly to roll back any protections for transgender students.  In a radio interview in early May he said “We’re gonna end it on Day 1.” He added “It will be terminated.”

Title IX was enacted in 1972 and is a federal civil rights law that states ““No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

President Biden has since expanded those protections for not only sex, but gender identity as well.  Many Republicans however have said Congress didn’t intend for such protections when Title IX was initially passed.

Even near the end of the campaign, Trump ramped up his attacks on transgender issues. Both Trump and his allies who were running for election openly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her statements supporting transgender rights.

At the recent rally at Madison Square Garden shortly before election day, Trump said “We will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools, and we will keep men out of women’s sports.” 

Policy Analysis:

 The issue of transgender athletes is largely on hold right now and may not be decided by the courts for some time.  However, the Trump team’s views on pulling back protections for transgender students seems to have hit a chord with his voters and many average Americans.

This is very disconcerting considering Title IX was an attempt at equality for all students. Unfortunately, if Trump has his way, transgender students will be at a severe disadvantage and remain vulnerable to verbal and physical assaults.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Biden administration’s efforts to create a more inclusive education system. The rhetoric by Trump and his followers have put many transgender students at further risk for harm.

Transgender youth since the election have found themselves calling suicide and crisis hotlines out of fear of how their lives will be affected now that Trump will be taking power.

Many such students fear at the very least Trump will exclude them from their choice on their use of pronouns, bathrooms, and locker rooms.  All of this seems silly and more of a wedge issue than anything else, since there is little evidence that education is significantly hampered by such student choices.

However, at the most dangerous, America can see an uptick in violence against transgender students and an increase in suicide rates among this population.

For example, the number of crises calls pleading for help is disturbing. For the week after election day, the Rainbow Youth Project, an organization that assists LGBTQ+ students received almost double the number of calls to its crisis hotline that it receives in a typical month.

One can only imagine the number of calls such hotlines will receive if such protections are eliminated.  The aim of Title IX was to create a system of equality and inclusivity for all students and not just the ones Trump seems to favor.  There is absolutely no reason to put young lives in jeopardy because they may see their gender differently that how President Trump sees things.  

This country has enough on its plate without being divided further while putting students’ lives at risk.

Engagement Resources

• National Sexual Violence Resource Center: Provides research & tools to advocates working on the frontlines to end sexual harassment, assault, and abuse with the understanding that ending sexual violence also means ending racism, sexism, and all forms of oppression.
• U.S. Department of Education:  Promotes student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access for students of all ages.

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