US Department of Education Officially Ends Title IX Protections for LGBTQ+ Students
The Trump administration used anti-trans rhetoric when arguing against the protections.
The United States Department of Education has now formally ended Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students across the country.
On Monday, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era interpretation of the policy that included providing queer students with discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Title IX is a civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding.
Courts had already struck down the Biden interpretation in 2025 after Republican-led states sued.
Trump officials have used transphobia to argue against the interpretation. Education Secretary Linda McMahon used such anti-trans rhetoric in celebrating the administration’s move.
“Thanks to today’s action, the published Title IX regulations faithfully reflect court orders and Congressional intent — reducing confusion for parents, students, and educational institutions. We will continue to relentlessly champion equal opportunity for all Americans and hold accountable any school or college that violates the rights, privacy, or athletic opportunities of our women and girls,” she said in the announcement.
The Trump administration has gone after schools across the country for supporting trans women athletes.
Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center, told The Hill that the move will only harm trans women athletes and also will weaken protections for survivors of sexual assault.
“Sexual harassment and assault continue to be pervasive in schools and, to the fullest extent possible, we should be working to enforce the laws that protect student survivors of sexual violence. Yet, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the Trump administration have decided to ignore what survivors need, instead weaponizing Title IX to attack trans students,” Patel said.
