Local LGBTQ, Education Officials Denounce Trump Administration’s Repeal on Transgender Students’ Protections

On Wednesday, the Trump administration’s Justice and Education departments rescinded federal guidelines protecting transgender students in public schools, reversing the Obama administration’s stance that a federal law, Title IX, protects the rights of transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identities.

The departments notified the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, writing that the protections needed to be withdrawn because they lacked “extensive legal analysis, did not go through a public vetting process, sowed confusion and drew legal challenges,” according to the Washington Post.

The Washington Post went on to say that the letter stated the administration wants to “further and more completely consider the legal issues involved,” writing that there should be “due regard for the primary role of the States and local school districts in establishing educational policy.”

“The president has made it clear throughout the campaign that he’s a firm believer in states’ rights and that certain issues like this are not best dealt with at the federal level,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer told NPR.

In response, The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach released a statement the same day, that voiced how “the rollback of these protections will allow many states and school districts to discriminate against transgender and gender nonconforming students without repercussion.”

“In California, a state with some of the strongest anti-discrimination protections in the United States, there is reasonable assurance that the current protections for transgender and gender nonconforming students will remain intact,” the statement read. “However, The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach unequivocally supports federal guidance ensuring equality for all students across the nation.”

The center also stated that it will continue its commitment to safety and inclusion in school for all students, successful partnerships with school districts and will expand efforts to support student safety and educational equity in schools across the country.

Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) President Jane Close Conoley tweeted on Wednesday the university’s support for every member of its community:

Megan Kerr, member of the Board of Education at Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), also sent out a tweet, which linked to a statement from LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser: