New York Will Ignore Trump’s Assault On LGBTQ Rights And Protect Transgender Students

At least one state came forward quickly on Wednesday to announce that, despite Donald Trump’s move to abandon Obama-era LGTQ protections, vulnerable transgender students will not lose any of the rights granted by the previous president.

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According to The Hill, a spokesperson for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said, “If President Trump withdraws Obama administration’s guidance, transgender students will still be protected by Title IX and its implementing regulations, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex.”

The AG spokesperson added: “Our state law protections are independent from federal law.”

Schneiderman says that his office “will continue to ensure that Title IX and New York’s own civil rights protections are enforced, because we know that policies that ensure equality for transgender New Yorkers promote safe and inclusive schools, workplaces, and communities — benefiting everyone.”

More from the NY Attorney General:

The response of New York’s attorney general came hours after the Trump administration notified the Supreme Court that they were withdrawing from guidelines issued by former President Barack Obama, which protected the rights of transgender students by allowing them to use public facilities that match their gender identity.

The pushback from Schneiderman’s office was the second time in a matter of hours that his office stood up to the new administration.

Just hours earlier, Schneiderman announced that state and local law enforcement officers aren’t obligated to go along with the president’s expanded deportation efforts.

“President Trump does not have the legal authority to unilaterally transform state and local police officers into federal immigration enforcement agents,” the New York Attorney General said in a statement. “As the legal guidance issued by my office in January makes clear, state and local law enforcement agencies cannot be forced to participate in President Trump’s destructive and ill-advised deportation policies.”

While Trump continues to think he can rule the country through dangerous and unpopular executive orders, he’s finding out quickly that this is actually a country of laws – and people like New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman aren’t about to let him get away with it.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.