By Bhavini Srivastava
The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, is a man either gravely misunderstood or one thrilled by the reputation and hysteria his policies wield worldwide.
On 23rd February, he went on a rampage against Title IX a federal law that states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. This had been a signature initiative of former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Directives from the American Justice and Education Department have nullified the previously sanctioned reform stating that it has no legal ground and that the Obama administration exceeded its powers by forcing the directive onto the federal states.
Trump continues to draw flak
People now realise that the kinds of policies Trump is bringing forth are not beneficial to them. | Image courtesy: Visual HuntTitle IX, which firmly enforced the directive on all fifty states by threatening to slash federal funding if not paid heed to, had been hailed by the LGBTQ community as a victory for their civil rights. It also upheld hopeful promises of separate lockers, changing rooms and a chance to participate in athletics. The directive gave students full freedom to choose the gender of their choice despite inconsistency in birth records.
Despondent about the hopelessness of their position, members of the community took to protest before the White House, with slogans of: [su_quote]No hate, no fear, trans students are welcome here.[/su_quote]
As put by Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, With a pen stroke, the Trump administration effectively sanctions the bullying, ostracising, and isolation of these children, putting their very lives in danger. In the words of Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign: [su_quote] This isnt a states rights issue, its a civil rights issue.[/su_quote]
‘As your President, I will do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens.’ The words of Donald Trump from his nomination speech now resonate as words of bitter deceit.
Transgender community in a tizzy
The bathroom bill debate was triggered as a contentious issue in March last year when the state of North Carolina passed a bill imposing transgender people to use the bathroom according to the sex on their birth certificate.
According to an analysis based on federal and state data, as high as 1.4 million adults in the United States identify themselves as part of the transgender community.
The bathroom law would have encouraged a greater number of students to come out of the closet and embrace their sexual identity.
Title IX has been a noble initiative to not only protect students from sexual discrimination in schools but to also sensitise the general society towards transgender people. However, Trumps decision to rescind the law confounds many and puts power into the hands of oppressors and bullies alike.
The courts are likely to have the final say over whether Title IX covers transgender students. While it is still a directive, the case pits a Virginia transgender boy, Gavin Grimm, against officials who want to deny him use of the boys room at his high school. The focus now shifts to the Supreme Court.