GLSEN Responds to DOE’s Proposed Rule on Trans Student Inclusion in Sports

GLSEN Responds to the Department of Education’s Proposed Rule on Trans Student Inclusion in Sports

Today, after the Department of Education released proposed changes to its Title IX regulations on students' eligibility for athletic teams, GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she) released the following statement:

“We commend the U.S. Department of Education for making clear that categorical trans schools sports bans — like those enacted in many states — violate Title IX. The proposed rule also suggests that any eligibility criteria that limits participation consistent with gender identity cannot be based on junk science or bigotry and must serve a legitimate purpose. This should mean that no transgender, nonbinary, or intersex student is denied the opportunity to play school sports. But amid intensifying anti-transgender political attacks, we cannot count on good actors. We will continue to work with the Department to ensure that a final rule supports the full inclusion of trans, nonbinary, and intersex students in all aspects of education, including sports.”

About GLSEN

GLSEN is a multi-racial intergenerational LGBTQ+ organization working nationally and locally to transform K-12 educational systems in the United States. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local level. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ+ students across the United States and helped launch an international movement to address LGBTQ+ issues in education.