On the publication of the updated regulations to Title IX that clarify protections for survivors of sexual assault and harassment, pregnant and parenting students, and LGBTQ+ students, among others, Amnesty International USA National Director Tarah Demant said:
“The Title IX clarifications are an important step forward to ensuring that all students are free from sex-based discrimination and can enjoy equal access to education and freedom from discrimination and violence.
“Opponents to the regulatory updates in Title IX, among them select U.S. state governments and the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, have dangerously alleged that expanding Title IX protections to LGBTQ+ students, particularly by expanding the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity, will increase the vulnerability of women and girls to violence.
“Such anti-trans rhetoric adds to false narratives that suggest trans individuals are sexual predators, and it perpetuates anti-trans violence, including violence against transgender women and girls. Transgender women and girls are women and girls, and they are equally deserving of the right to live free from violence and to non-discrimination.
“Violence against women and girls is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with real solutions. Promoting discrimination against transgender people is not a real solution, is harmful, and it takes focus away from seeking solutions that will actually help end violence against women and girls, as multiple national sexual assault and domestic violence organizations have reiterated in their opposition to discrimination and anti-transgender initiatives.
“The U.S. government should continue to expand protections against sex discrimination and violence for all students, including transgender students.”
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