President Trump ordered the Departments of Education and Justice last Wednesday evening to withdraw important protections for transgender students in public schools. Removing these protections, which let transgender students use bathrooms and other facilities corresponding to their gender identity, signals a strong disregard for the civil rights of thousands of students across the country. Given the potentially detrimental effects of this decision, the University needs to take the necessary steps to reassure the transgender community on Grounds of its unconditional support.
In a recent survey conducted by the Association of American Universities regarding campus sexual assault among college students, LGBTQ students reported “significantly higher rates of sexual assault and harassment … than their heterosexual peers.” The removal of these forms of protection by the federal government is especially troubling since transgender students are at a higher risk of experiencing violence and harassment. Inaccessibility to the right bathroom puts transgender people in demeaning and potentially dangerous situations on a daily basis.
Existing University policies and programs like “Just Report It” and online educational modules have provided a foundation, but without federal protection, the University will need to be more proactive. To ensure the safety and protection of transgender students, the administration could implement housing based on gender identity and enforce specific policies which deal with peer gender-based harassment. While it is impossible to completely eliminate peer gender-based harassment on Grounds, the University can significantly reinforce protection by improving educational programs geared specifically towards this type of harassment.
It is clear the removal of these protections by the Trump administration will have damaging effects to transgender students across the nation. With the establishment of Title IX in 1972, the country made a decision to protect every U.S. citizen from sex discrimination in institutions receiving federal funding. If President Trump wishes to take away these protections, the University needs to ensure the transgender community on Grounds has its full support.
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