On April 6, the U.S. Education Department announced a proposed change to Title IX, which prohibits gender-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, NPR reported.
The proposal would stop schools from broadly banning transgender students from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity, rather than their assigned sex at birth.
"Every student should be able to have the full experience of attending school in America, including participating in athletics, free from discrimination," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "Being on a sports team is an important part of the school experience for students of all ages."
In a statement sent to Windy City Times, National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon said, "Transgender youth are an integral part of every school across this country. We applaud the Department of Education for recognizing that the law requires that transgender students must be treated fairly and equally and as respected members of their school communities."
The proposed Title IX changes will be published to the Federal Register in the next few weeks, after which it will open for 30 days of public comment. Those are just the first steps in a process that could take months or even years to change the law.
Andrew Davis