Washington, D.C. — This week, Family Equality joined the National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the Trevor Project, and 13 other organizations in submitting a comment letter supporting the proper interpretation and application of the Department of Education’s proposed changes to Title IX. The rule, introduced in April, would prohibit discrimination against transgender students in school sports and bar policies that categorically ban transgender people from participating on a team that matches their gender identity.
The comment letter, which can be viewed in full here, urges the Department of Education to adopt the proposed rule and clearly communicate in the preamble to the final rule all the implications of the rule, including:
- The establishment of a strong presumption that transgender students generally must be allowed to play on the team consistent with their gender identity, and
- The provision for strong privacy protections for both trans- and cisgender students, prohibiting the use of invasive physical tests to confirm a student’s sex and putting the minds of students and parents at ease.
“Sports are about more than just scoreboards and record-setting,” says Nikhil Vashee, Director of Education Law and Policy, Senior Policy Counsel at Family Equality. “They’re a place for young people to learn about teamwork and feel like they belong. All kids deserve equal and full access to this opportunity, and we are hopeful that this rule is a step in the right direction.”
The letter is signed by the National Center of Lesbian Rights, Family Equality, Equality Utah, Georgia Equality, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality, the Lost Angeles LGBT Center, the National Education Association (NEA), the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, the National LGBT Cancer Network, the National LGBTQ+ Task Force, One Colorado, SAGE, the Transformation Project, the Transformation Project Advocacy Network (TPAN), the Trevor Project, and the United State of Women (USOW).
About Family Equality
Family Equality is creating a world where everyone can experience the love, safety, and belonging of family. As the leading national organization for current and future LGBTQ+ families, we work to ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing LGBTQ+ equality through advocacy, support, storytelling, and education.
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Press Contact
Tonya Agnew,
Chief Communications Officer
(765) 490-4709 / tagnew@familyequality.org