LINCOLN, NE – After years of rollbacks on civil rights protections from Title IX opponents, the Biden administration’s newly released Title IX rules are a necessary step forward to protect all students, including LGBTQ+ students and student survivors of assault.
This final rule clearly reaffirms what many federal courts have already determined: LGBTQ+ students are protected against sex-based discrimination, and should be free to attend school without fear of harassment or discrimination. This clarification is highly necessary at a time when hostile legislation is growing more common at the local, state and federal level.
Although transgender, nonbinary and intersex athletes have previously been protected under Title IX, with those protections further strengthened under the new rules, regulations that explicitly prohibit banning trans athletes are still needed to ensure clarity and prevent discriminatory loopholes at the local level.
Equally crucial is that regulations ensure fair and equitable processes for all students who experience sex-based harassment at school. The new Title IX rules restore strong protections for student survivors by requiring schools to investigate a wider array of complaints, eliminating traumatic grievance procedure requirements and ensuring students have access to resources they need to feel safe and supported at school.
Students from all identities and walks of life should be empowered to do great things, and strong Title IX protections are an essential part of making that possible.
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OutNebraska is a non-partisan organization working to empower, celebrate and grow LGBTQ+ communities in Nebraska.