Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Education made a major stride in the LGBT community, clarifying that Title IX's discrimination protection extends to transgender students, as well.
- The ACLU hopes the decision will set a precedent for states to make coverage of the trans community more comprehensive and codified into law.
- Title IX, which prohibits discrimination of education opportunities based on gender, was originally passed into law with the Education Amendments of 1972.
Dive Insight:
This is a breakthrough for the transgendered community and a real step forward for equality.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force data says that almost 80% of transgendered students report harassment at school. Hopefully this confirmation of the extent of Title IX's coverage will alter the way this is handled in schools and, over time, lower that percentage.
The exact statement released by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights said: "Title IX's sex discrimination prohibition extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity and OCR accepts such complaints for investigation."
While Title IX is typically associated with athletics, it actually applies to ten areas: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing, and Technology.