The Trump administration drew first blood in what many believe is a systematic erosion of LGBTQ civil rights during the evening hours of Feb. 22 when President Obama's guidelines extending Title IX protections to transgender students were rolled back, ironically, without the fanfare of publicity which has surrounded each of Trump's executive orders.
Nevertheless, reaction from advocacy groups nationwide and in Chicago was as swift as it was vocal.
"We all know that Donald Trump is a bully, but his attack on transgender children today is a new low.
Lambda Legal CEO Rachel B. Tiven said in a statement. "Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary DeVos give us sickening echoes of the racially segregated schools era by claiming that enforcement of this federal civil rights law is a 'states' rights issue.'"
A joint statement from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Center for Transgender Equality, GLSEN, the National Women's Law Center, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ), and MALDEF read in part that the Trump administration "have sent a deeply troubling message to students that the administration will not stand up for students' civil rights."
"We condemn the administration's decision, vow to fight to enforce Title IX, which continues to protect transgender students, and call on individual schools and districts to treat students consistent with their gender identity and consistent with the rescinded guidance that accurately explained the law," they added.
American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) LGBT Project Director James Esseks echoed those sentiments while ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Joshua Block reaffirmed that the real battle over Title IX will be in the courts.
"Revoking the guidance shows that the president's promise to protect LGBT rights was just empty rhetoric," Esseks said. "School districts recognize [they] should continue doing the right thing; for the rest, we'll see them in court."
"While it's disappointing to see the Trump administration revoke the guidance, the administration cannot change what Title IX means," Block asserted.
"Fortunately, the White House does not have the power to singlehandedly change federal law, and school districts across the country are still legally obligated to comply with Title IX and protect transgender students," Transgender Law Center Executive Director Kris Hayashi added. "No matter what this administration says, the law remains on transgender students' side and students can still take legal action when schools cross the line and discriminate against them because they are transgender."
However, this may be of little comfort to terrified transgender students and their parents nationwide. In a brief statement, PFLAG national verbalized those concerns.
"PFLAG hearts everywhere are with the worried parents who will be kept awake tonight, and the kids who will be scared to go to school in the morning," the organization said. "Tomorrow we will fight even harder for the protections that Title IX still affords all transgender youth across the country."
The son of one such mother Katharine Prescott took his own life after relentless discrimination that he suffered at his school. Her determination that no other parent should suffer the loss of a child as she did drove her to the Obama administration in order to play a vital role in crafting those guidelines.
"I would welcome the chance to share my story with Secretary DeVos and Attorney General Sessions to help them understand the real-life implications of reversing the Title IX guidance for protecting transgender students," Prescott said.
It is unknown whether either have the desire or the political will to take Prescott up on her offer.
"This guidance was developed and issued to support transgender students because the reality is that they are far more likely to face severe violence and discrimination at school than their peers, placing them at greatly increased risk of suicide and self-harm as a result," GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard added. "When students are allowed to be themselves, they thrive. This guidance changes and saves lives and hurts no one. It should not be withdrawn."
The New York-based Family Equality Council called the action a "regressive and reprehensible step backwards."
Locally, Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson stated that "rescinding the guidance sends a terrible message and invites personal bias to flourish in our schools."
Johnson called upon Illinois schools to support transgender students noting that it was a "legal and moral duty."
Even as they face exponentially growing fears from within their own community, The Association of Latino/as Motivating Action ( ALMA ) showed solidarity with transgender children when they called the decision "disappointing and wrong" and encouraged people to immediately echo those feelings to legislators.
"Now more than ever, they need to hear from you and they need to stand up for our transgender and gender-nonconforming students," the organization concluded.
Statements released to the press at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Title-IX-Guidance-for-Transgender-Students-revoked-groups-speak-out/58233.html .
