Trump’s Reversal of LGBTQ+ Protections
On the first day of his administration, President Donald Trump wasted no time in taking steps to roll back protections that the Biden administration had put in place for LGBTQ+ students under Title IX.
In a bold executive order, he declared a federal stance that officially recognizes only two genders: male and female.
This sweeping directive, which aligns with the commitments Trump made during his campaign, reiterates messages he shared in his inaugural speech.
By limiting government documents like passports and visas to these two categories, the order sets a clear boundary on how gender identity is perceived at the federal level.
Furthermore, Trump instructed the Attorney General to inform various agencies that civil rights laws—including Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational institutions—cannot be interpreted to protect individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
This reversal directly negates efforts made by the Biden administration to broaden these protections.
As a result, it’s expected that the U.S. Department of Education will issue more restrictive guidelines for schools concerning Title IX, impacting the rights of LGBTQ+ students across the nation.
Impact on Transgender Rights
Later that day, Trump made the order official in the Oval Office, following a series of speeches and interactions with supporters at the Capitol One Arena.
This action was one of the few measures taken on his first day that specifically targeted educational settings.
During a significant rally, he announced the cancellation of numerous executive orders from former President Biden, including those aimed at strengthening Title IX protections for transgender students and efforts to combat discrimination against LGBTQ+ youth.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in Republican initiatives to curb transgender rights, with various Trump-affiliated groups extensively campaigning against transgender issues leading up to the 2024 election.
Throughout his campaign, Trump committed to reversing Biden’s policies designed to expand Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.
Responses and Future Implications
In the inaugural address, Trump articulated his intent to reject government policies perceived as attempts to socially engineer concepts of gender and race in society.
He asserted that the future federal viewpoint would recognize only the binary of male and female.
The two largest teachers’ unions in America criticized his address, calling it divisive, while LGBTQ+ advocates had braced themselves for these developments.
Prior to Trump taking office, numerous state legislatures had already passed laws restricting the participation of transgender students in sports, limiting bathroom access, and constraining educational opportunities surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity.
In light of Trump’s election, LGBTQ+ crisis centers have reported a surge in calls from distressed young individuals.
Just recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation—backed by Republican support—that would prohibit transgender girls and women from participating in K-12 and college sports aligned with their gender identity.
The same legislative package also imposed additional bathroom restrictions, effectively barring the first openly transgender congresswoman from using women’s restrooms.
According to the CDC, about 3% of high school students identify as transgender, with an additional 2.2% still exploring their gender identity.
Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, remarked that many activists and organizations have prepared for political challenges like these, noting that similar issues have appeared in past years which communities managed to navigate with tenacity.
Leading up to his inauguration, Trump hinted at these executive initiatives, stating at campaign rallies that he would dismantle Biden’s expansions of Title IX just as soon as he took office.
To push his objectives forward, he quickly halted a separate Biden policy that aimed to protect transgender student-athletes, sidestepping the lengthy regulatory process and allowing for rapid implementation of his administration’s agenda.
Trump also made it clear he would withdraw federal funding from educational institutions that promote what he considers unacceptable ideologies, including Critical Race Theory and what he denounced as “transgender insanity.”
Broader actions tied to federal funding might require congressional backing, but this strategy represents a continuation of Trump’s previous agenda, suggesting that even more directives could emerge in the future.
During Trump’s first term, his Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, swiftly overturned Obama-era guidance regarding the rights of transgender students concerning facilities, names, and pronouns.
Data revealed that complaints related to discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity were less likely to trigger changes in school policies during Trump’s administration than under his predecessor.
The Education Department also previously announced it would no longer investigate complaints about transgender students’ bathroom access, drawing ire from civil rights advocates.
As Trump gears up for his second term, his nominee for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is poised to steer the implementation of this new agenda, while Denise Carter will lead the Department of Education on an interim basis.
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, criticized Trump’s actions regarding gender identity, arguing that they dismiss the important needs of every student.
She pointed out that parents and educators believe students should be offered more educational opportunities instead of less, emphasizing the need for respect across all identities.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, expressed disappointment that Trump’s inaugural address missed an opportunity for fostering national unity.
She felt it further exacerbated divisions rather than promoting inclusivity, contending that advocates in education and labor are committed to fighting for dignity and opportunity for all.
Source: Edweek