Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has vowed to fight back against Trump’s rolling back of protections for transgender students.
After the Trump administration had removed protections that were put in place by President Obama for transgender students, Sen. Franken said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:
I strongly believe that it is our responsibility—not just as elected officials, but as adults—to protect our children and young people, and to help them flourish. Last year, the Obama administration issued guidelines that explained what Title IX means for transgender students—and what the law requires of schools. Today’s decision by the Trump administration to rescind those guidelines is callous and mean-spirited, and it sends a terrible message to LGBT children and their parents. But let’s be clear, rescinding the guidelines doesn’t change the law, nor does it take away students’ rights. Both Title IX and the Constitution continue to protect transgender students from discrimination and unequal treatment in our schools, and I will continue to fight for policies that help schools understand their obligation to treat transgender students with dignity and respect.
The Trump administration appears to be on a mission to roll back protections for minority students of all kinds. The administration has also removed a website that informed disabled students and their parents of their educational rights. Although Trump’s behavior during the campaign made it clear that he was going to be hostile towards the differently abled community, the signals towards the LGBT community were more smoke screened.
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It is now obvious that LGBT rights and protections will also be under attack during the Trump presidency. Democrats like Al Franken will stand up and take the fight to Trump, but if any voter needed a reason why a Democratic majority Congress is needed, one just needs to look to the civil rights rollback being undertaken by the Trump administration for their answer.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
