Federal protections of transgender students are launching where courts haven't blocked them
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-protections-of-transgender-students-are-launching-where-courts-haven-t-blocked-them/ar-BB1qXLKg?ocid=windirect&cvid=e0e8f4f764cf4328995ade3871bd0db5&ei=36
Story by ANDREW DeMILLO, GEOFF MULVIHILL and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM (31 July 2024)
New federal protections for transgender students at U.S. schools and colleges will take effect Thursday with muted impact because judges have temporarily blocked enforcement in 21 states and hundreds of individual colleges and schools across the country.
The regulation also adds protections for pregnant students and students who are parents, and details how schools must respond to sexual misconduct complaints.
"I think it is likely that school district-to-school district or state-to-state, we're going to see more or less a continuation of the current status quo," said Elana Redfield, federal policy director at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
The rights of transgender people — and especially young people — have become a major political battleground in recent years as trans visibility has increased. Most Republican-controlled states have banned gender-affirming health care for transgender minors, and several have adopted policies limiting which school bathrooms trans people can use and barring trans girls from some sports competitions.
The rule declares that it's unlawful discrimination to treat transgender students differently from their classmates, including by restricting bathroom access. It does not explicitly address sports participation, a particularly contentious topic.