The breaking news is that the Trump administration has told a federal appeals court it is withdrawing its argument that Title IX requires every public school in America to let biological males who want to identify as girls that day to enter locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms; play on girls’ sports teams; and share girls’ hotel rooms on travel trips.
The Offices of Civil Rights in both the Department of Justice and the Department of Education jointly sent a letter to that effect in advance of March oral arguments in the case called G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board. The Trump administration argues that local schools should have the freedom to craft appropriate policies without the heavy hand of the feds’ threat to withdraw taxpayer support for schools if they do not follow the Obama “guidance” to the tee. Many public schools would like to accommodate transgender students by offering them access to faculty bathrooms — but to the Obama administration that was hateful bigotry.
The triumph of common sense by President Trump’s administration will be roundly applauded by parents everywhere. Equally as important, this move will help restore the rule of law. Title IX was passed in large measure to give girls equal athletic opportunities to boys in public schools. Requiring girls to expose themselves to naked males is the very definition of a hostile environment, banned by Title IX.
I doubted President Trump would do this, and I’m glad to have been proven wrong.
Let’s be clear about what this move does not do: it doesn’t prevent any public school from adopting the Obama policy if it chooses. It won’t keep your public school from teaching your child there are six genders and asking him or her to consider which one he or she wants to be. This is not a major advance in the gender wars. It is merely a rollback of an absurd and unlawful power grab by the Obama administration.
Still, let’s celebrate while we can. Thank you Betsy DeVos. Thank you Jeff Sessions. Most of all, thank you President Trump.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore
