Recent developments have prompted Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) to revise and reissue its position statement on the protections of transgender and transitioning people under Title IX. The arguments for inclusion remain largely unchanged, however the history of the issue has been edited to reflect changes in the current political winds.
This ATIXA position statement reflects the importance of protections for gender nonconformity, gender identity, gender expression, transitioning and transgender status conferred by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Allegations of such discrimination should be subject to a civil rights, equity-based response from any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. ATIXA strongly endorses and supports these protections and encourages their full implementation within all schools, colleges and universities subject to Title IX.
Because the verbiage of Title IX itself is broad in its protections, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) interpretation of the law has evolved over time, progressively focusing on employment discrimination, equity in athletics, sexual harassment and sexual violence. OCR and the courts are now debating whether the Title IX lens should focus on the rights of gender-nonconforming and transgender individuals to ensure their access to the full benefits of federally funded educational programs.
As schools establish new policy and turn toward best practices now in the absence of federal guidance, ATIXA encourages broad consideration of the very real barriers to education faced by students identifying as transgender. To be clear, schools are now free to protect transgender and transitioning students as much as they want, unless there is state law to the contrary, and many state laws explicitly include gender identity and expression as protected classes.
ATIXA supports gender nonconforming and transgender individuals enrolled and/or employed by schools and colleges and welcomes the diversity they bring. ATIXA hopes that its members will endeavor to assure that school and college communities will be safe, hospitable and supportive for those gender nonconforming and transgender individuals within our communities.
Founded in 2011, ATIXA is the nation’s only membership association dedicated solely to compliance with Title IX and the support of our more than 3,000 administrator members who hold Title IX responsibilities in schools and colleges. ATIXA is the leading provider of Title IX training and certification, having certified more than 3,000 Title IX coordinators and more than 8,000 Title IX investigators since 2011. ATIXA releases position statements on matters of import to our members and the field, as authorized by the ATIXA Board of Advisors. For more information, visit atixa.org.
From Airbnb to Audi, companies used their advertising airtime during the 2017 Super Bowl to embrace the values of inclusion and equality. And those values are increasingly shared by consumers looking to spend their dollars to make a statement for equality, writes Sarah McBride of the Human Rights Campaign.
To help direct consumers to companies that value LGBTQ inclusion in their workplaces, the HRC Foundation has released its annual Buying for Workplace Equality guide. The guide, first issued a more than a decade ago by the HRC Foundation, provides invaluable consumer information based on company scores reported in the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), as well as HRC-researched data on additional well-known companies and their brands.
“Businesses continue to lead the way on LGBTQ equality,” said Liz Cooper, HRC Foundation, Associate Director, Corporate Equality Programs. “The brands behind this year’s most talked about Super Bowl ads demonstrated that they know consumers are looking for companies that reflect their values of fairness and equality. The Buying for Workplace Equality guide is a powerful tool for LGBTQ and equality-minded consumers, providing a quick reference to those familiar, popular brands that are also prioritizing LGBTQ inclusion.”
The new guide includes more than 750 companies, 597 of them rated in the CEI, and an additional 160 independently researched by the HRC Foundation. A total of 5,037 affiliated businesses and brands are featured in this year’s report. Companies independently researched have declined invitations to actively participate in the CEI; their scores are based on publicly-verifiable information. The sectors featured are:
Apparel & Accessories
Banking & Finance
Food & Beverage
Home & Garden
Restaurants
Technology
Retailers
Entertainment
Oil and Gas
Shipping
Fun and Games
Pet Care
Automotive
Newsstand
Household Products
Insurance and Healthcare
Health and Beauty
Kids
Travel and Leisure
Businesses and their products are divided based on their CEI rating into red, yellow and green categories so that consumers can easily determine which brands support LGBTQ workplace equality:
Green (80-100): Businesses/brands with the highest workplace equality scores.
Human Rights Campaign National Corporate Partners The support of these businesses is directly tied to the Human Rights Campaign’s success in ensuring equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. All HRC National Corporate Partners are required to maintain a CEI score of 85 or above.
Yellow (46-79): Businesses/brands that have taken steps toward a fair-minded workplace and receive a moderate workplace equality score.
Red (0-45): Businesses/brands that receive our lowest workplace equality scores
Italics (Non-responder): Businesses/ brands that have not responded to the survey despite repeated attempts and have been provided with an estimated score based on publicly available information that has been researched.
Now more than ever, it is important to support businesses that support equality. To read the 2017 Buying for Workplace Equality, visit: http://www.hrc.org/apps/buyersguide/
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from the University of Washington’s School of Social Work have released new findings this month on the health and aging of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender older adults in the U.S.
Approximately 2.7 million adults age 50 and older self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This number is expected to increase to more than five million by 2060, yet this population is critically understudied.
UW researchers have been working to change that through the first longitudinal study of LGBT older adults, called Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging, Sexuality/Gender Study. New findings from the longitudinal study, published in a 2017 supplement of The Gerontologist, will increase understanding of the challenges, strengths and needs of this growing yet underserved population.
The new results show that LGBT older adults are both resilient and at-risk, with higher rates of disability, cardiovascular disease, depression and social isolation. The findings also document how key life events ― including coming out, work and relationships ― are associated with health and quality of life. Articles examined factors such as race/ethnicity, partnership status, resiliency among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men, and transgender older adults with prior military service. The role of social networks, mental health, high-risk alcohol consumption and health care engagement were also studied.
“This research highlights pathways to better understand health for all marginalized communities.”
The team surveyed 2,450 adults aged 50 to 100, studying the impact of historical, environmental, psychological, social, behavioral and biological factors on LGBT adult health and well-being. The 10 articles that make up the supplement focuses on three themes: influence of life events; diversity and subgroup differences; and processes and mechanisms underlying health and quality of life.
“The insights gleaned from this study of aging among LGBT older adults can deepen our understanding of the richness, diversity and resilience of lives across the life course,” Fredriksen-Goldsen said. “As we move forward in aging-related research, services and policies, it’s important to understand that these communities are diverse, and that unique groups face distinct challenges to their health.”
Funded by the National Institute on Aging, the research will help develop community-based interventions to improve the health and well-being of at-risk LGBT older adults.
Through the generous support of the Ford Foundation, 23 organizations in nine Deep South states heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS will receive critical support to fight the HIV epidemic by addressing the disparities and social injustices that fuel the epidemic. By adopting an intersectional approach, Southern REACH grantees will advance the rights, health and dignity of people affected by HIV in their communities.
The South is home to just 37% of the total U.S. population, yet almost half (49%) of all new HIV diagnoses happen in Deep South states. Further, many people living with HIV face overwhelming challenges such as racism, poverty, lack of access to education, HIV-related stigma, homophobia, transphobia, fear of deportation and lack of access to insurance and specialized HIV. These issues won’t be solved without strategic, effective advocacy that reaches far beyond constituencies historically focused on HIV.
That’s why the AIDS United Southern REACH (Regional Expansion of Access and Capacity to Address HIV/AIDS) grantees will tackle things differently. REACH grantees will address HIV-related disparities where public health and social justice intersect. This includes focusing on key areas such as community organizing and mobilization, meaningful involvement of people living with HIV in policymaking and the integration of HIV into key social and racial justice frameworks.
“The HIV epidemic continues through complex and deep-rooted social and economic inequities,” said Jesse Milan, Jr., AIDS United president & CEO. “We cannot end the epidemic and advance the lives of people living with HIV without addressing the disparities experienced by racial, gender and sexual minorities, and nowhere are these disparities more pronounced than in the U.S. South. This is difficult work, but AIDS United and the Ford Foundation are proud to be at the forefront of this movement.”
The 23 grantees were selected out of a highly competitive pool of applicants that came from HIV, reproductive justice, housing and other social movements. Each grantee has demonstrated the ability to make significant change in their community and a deep commitment to cross-movement collaboration. Grantees are focused on important issues such as protecting and advancing health care access, expanding legal services in the areas of housing and employment discrimination and combatting unjust HIV criminalization laws.
“It’s clear that we need to work together across movements to strengthen our collective efforts to advance equity and social justice,” said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. “I believe that Southern REACH, a program that we have supported for over 10 years, is a galvanizing force in the region. We are proud to support those in the vanguard of the struggle, especially in the American South where discrimination and harmful laws and policies are so pervasive,” said Walker.
Vermont tops a new ranking of states by the portion of adults in 2015 and 2016 who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) at 5.3%. Massachusetts (4.9%), California (4.9%), Oregon (4.9%) and Nevada (4.8%) round out the top five.
The District of Columbia’s 8.6% LGBT exceeds that of any of the states. States with the lowest percentage of LGBT-identifying residents include South Dakota (2.0%), North Dakota (2.7%), Idaho (2.8%), South Carolina (3.0%) and Montana (3.0%).
These figures are based on combined 2015 and 2016 data from more than 400,000 interviews and update Gallup’s state-level estimates from 2012. Consistent with Gallup research showing national increases in the percentage of adults identifying as LGBT from 3.5% in 2012 to 4.1% in 2016, the vast majority of states and the District of Columbia (42 out of 51) also report increases. However, most of the state-level changes are not statistically significant.
LGBT Identification Highest in the Pacific Region
At 4.9%, the Pacific region, which includes the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii, has the highest portion of LGBT-identifying adults among eight regions in the U.S. The Pacific region also had the largest percentage-point increase (0.7 points) from 2012/2013 to 2015/2016. This change nudged it ahead of New England (4.5%), which reported a more modest 0.2-point increase.
The Middle Atlantic and Rocky Mountain regions also reported large increases (each 0.5 points) in the portion of adults identifying as LGBT. Among all regions, the West Central region continues to have the lowest percentage who identify as LGBT, but also showed a relatively large gain from 2.9% to 3.4%.
Percentage of U.S. Adults Identifying as LGBT, by Region
Region
2012-2013
2015-2016
Change
%
%
pct. pts.
Pacific (Calif., Ore., Wash., Hawaii, Alaska)
4.2
4.9
+0.7
New England (Maine, N.H., Vt., Mass., R.I., Conn.)
West Central (Wis., Minn., Iowa, Mo., N.D., S.D., Neb., Kan.)
2.9
3.4
+0.5
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
Multiple Factors Help Explain the Increases
A variety of factors influence changes in the portion of adults identifying as LGBT over time. Gallup research documents ongoing increases in the social acceptance of LGBT individuals in the U.S. Growing public acceptance can affect, and likely increase, the willingness of LGBT individuals to identify as such on surveys.
Nationally, virtually all of the increases in LGBT identification over the past five years are among millennials. Their coming of age at a time of greater social acceptance toward LGBT individuals may contribute to disproportionate increases in LGBT identity across states. As the youngest millennials reach 18 and enter Gallup’s national adult surveys, their influence on the national survey estimates increases proportionally. A third factor could be mobility: LGBT individuals, in theory, could be more likely to move to parts of the country with greater social acceptance. Other research, however, suggests that the chances of moving away from where one lived as a teenager do not vary much by sexual orientation. As a result, it’s unlikely that mobility plays a strong role in explaining differences in LGBT identity by state or region over time.
State-level rankings by the portion of adults identifying as LGBT clearly relate to the regional differences in LGBT social acceptance, which tend to be higher in the East and West and lower in the South and Midwest. Nevada is the only state in the top 10 that doesn’t have a coastal border. States ranked in the bottom 10 are dominated by those in the Midwest and South.
Proportion of U.S. Adults Who Are Millennials (Born 1980-1998) and Proportion Who Say Gay and Lesbian Relationships Should Be Legal, by Region
Millennials
Legality of gay/lesbian relations
% of population
% should be legal
New England
31
92
Middle Atlantic
33
77
East Central/Great Lakes
30
63
West Central
31
75
Southeast
31
58
Southwest
34
51
Rocky Mountain
33
66
Pacific
35
83
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (Millennials); May 4-8, 2016, Values and Beliefs Survey (Legality)
However, regional changes over time in LGBT identification may be affected both by levels of LGBT acceptance and the demographic composition of regional populations. Analyses of Gallup’s 2016 Values and Beliefs poll find that the New England and Pacific regions rank highest in LGBT acceptance but differ in the age composition of the population. More than a third of adults in the Pacific region (35%) are millennials, compared with 31% in New England — figures that, by population demographic standards, represent a relatively large difference. This difference may explain why, despite high levels of social acceptance in both regions, increases in LGBT identity are larger in the Pacific region than in New England.
The presence of large portions of millennials in the population does not perfectly predict the magnitude of increases in LGBT identity. Among regions, the Southwest has a relatively large proportion of millennials in its population (34%) but is also the region least likely to say that gay and lesbian relationships should be legal. This relatively low level of acceptance may be a factor in explaining the relatively low level of change in LGBT identity despite having a large younger population.
Bottom Line
State and regional changes in the level of LGBT identification defy simple explanation. However, it does appear that variation among states and regions in population demographics, especially age, and LGBT social acceptance (or stigma) interact to affect the willingness of adults to identify as LGBT.
Percentage of U.S. Adults Identifying as LGBT by State, 2015-2016
Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender?
2015-2016
Sample size
%
District of Columbia
8.6
1,746
Vermont
5.3
2,200
Massachusetts
4.9
15,193
California
4.9
69,467
Oregon
4.9
11,859
Nevada
4.8
5,888
Delaware
4.7
1,976
New Hampshire
4.6
3,129
Washington
4.6
17,782
New York
4.5
41,203
Maine
4.5
4,094
Colorado
4.3
13,844
Florida
4.2
42,605
New Mexico
4.2
5,790
Indiana
4.1
15,642
Rhode Island
4.0
2,395
Arizona
4.0
17,402
Minnesota
4.0
13,176
Georgia
4.0
20,999
Illinois
3.9
22,199
Maryland
3.9
12,532
Hawaii
3.8
2,121
Michigan
3.8
19,860
Ohio
3.8
25,535
Louisiana
3.7
9,958
Texas
3.6
53,349
Pennsylvania
3.6
32,473
New Jersey
3.6
18,575
Nebraska
3.6
5,646
Wyoming
3.5
2,202
Oklahoma
3.5
10,689
North Carolina
3.5
23,169
Connecticut
3.5
7,984
Virginia
3.4
20,357
Wisconsin
3.4
14,078
Missouri
3.4
13,632
West Virginia
3.4
4,635
Utah
3.3
8,349
Kentucky
3.3
10,804
Iowa
3.2
8,064
Mississippi
3.2
6,783
Tennessee
3.1
17,050
Kansas
3.1
7,024
Alaska
3.0
2,225
Alabama
3.0
12,133
Arkansas
3.0
7,938
Montana
3.0
4,235
South Carolina
3.0
11,166
Idaho
2.8
4,858
North Dakota
2.7
2,079
South Dakota
2.0
2,160
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
Survey Methods
These results of estimates are based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 473,243 U.S. adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, collected from June 1, 2012, through Dec. 30, 2013, and 710,252 adults collected from Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 30, 2016, as part of the Gallup Daily tracking survey and the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey. The data include 14,487 respondents from 2012/2013 and 23,483 from 2015/2016 who said yes when asked, “Do you, personally identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?” The margin of error for each region varies from ±0.1 to ±0.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level and varies among states from ±0.2 to ±1.6 percentage points, depending on sample size. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting at the state level.
Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he had signed three executive orders that stand to significantly increase the criminalization and incarceration of some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations by broadening law enforcement agencies’ powers.
“Trump’s executive orders that expand the discretionary power of police enforcement are a clear attack on freedom, justice and equality. These new polices are intended to further criminalize, imprison, and deny justice to the nation’s most targeted populations including people of color, people living below the poverty line, and LGBTQ people,” said Rea Carey, National LGBTQ Task Force Executive Director.
A report published in 2014 shows that 73% of LGBTQ respondents had an interaction with police in the last five years. 21% of those respondents reported hostile attitudes from officers, 14% reported verbal assault by police, 3% reported sexual harassment and 2% reported physical assault by officers. Furthermore, in 2016, of the 963 people shot by police officers, about half of those people were people of color and almost 25% were Black—while Black people only make up 13% of the U.S. population.
“Law enforcement already has too much power, and too much discretion. We don’t need anything more to ‘stop crimes against law enforcement officers;’ in fact all 50 states have laws that make it a serious crime to assault or kill law enforcement officers. There is no evidence that these laws are under-enforced,” said Carey.
According to FBI data, LGBTQ people are the most likely group to experience a hate crime. Around 60% of LGBTQ people who experience hate violence are people of color. Of people who reported hate violence to police, 80% said the police were indifferent or hostile. Unsurprisingly, only 56% of survivors of hate violence report those incidents to police. In 2014, law enforcement agencies reported almost 5,500 incidents of hate violence against people of color, LGBTQ people, and religious minorities.
“Trump’s actions are yet another example of how laws intended to protect vulnerable populations are instead being manipulated to harm those who are intended to be protected. Hate crimes laws are intended to aid prosecutions for crimes that were under-charged or not charged at all. These Executive Orders will only increase policing and prosecutions of people of color, LGBTQ people, and lower-income people,” said Meghan Maury, National LGBTQ Task Force Criminal and Economic Justice Project Director.
Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said Tom Price’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services puts the health and well-being of LGBTQ people in jeopardy. Price has a long, disturbing record of opposing basic civil rights for LGBTQ people and will be serving in a position of unique importance to the LGBTQ community.
“Tom Price has shown alarming disregard for LGBTQ people, and for the health challenges we face,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “The fact of the matter is that too many LGBTQ people are still denied care, denied visitation rights, and are treated unfairly by their providers. The Trump Administration has floated executive order language that would allow the government to bankroll discrimination in all of those areas — and Tom Price’s alarming record shows that he’s the perfect rubber stamp for the president’s shameful proposals. When it comes to the health of our community, we’re not going back. We will not give one inch on the progress we’ve made in the last 8 years. The Trump administration should know that we’re watching and will hold each and every appointee accountable.”
For more, check out HRC’s report: Tom Price: A History of Anti-LGBTQ Actions, which includes details about Price’s extensive history of anti-LGBTQ lawmaking, including:
Price, like Jeff Sessions, voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act, referring to it as “thought crime” and referred to its passage as “immoral.”
Price voted against the Violence Against Women Act, which include protections for LGBTQ people — particularly concerning given HHS’ recognition of domestic violence as a public health crisis.
He is a vocal opponent of the Affordable Care Act, which provides essential health care for LGBTQ people.
He referred to the notion that transgender people should have equal access to public facilities as “abuse and overreach of power.”
Price was a vocal opponent of repealing the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban.
The fringe Family Research Council wrote to its members: “As one of our good friends in Congress, Rep. Tim Price [sic] (R-GA), told me recently: If the homosexual Left succeeds and ENDA becomes law, you can “Just let your mind run wild and see the consequences: They are remarkably negative.”
Price sponsored legislation to attempt to pre-empt Washington, D.C.’s recognition of marriages between same-sex couples.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has joined forces with the Williams-Sonoma family of brands on a unique “Love Is Love” mug that will help advance efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ people.
Half of the proceeds from the sale of the mug — available in stores and online at West Elm, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn — will benefit HRC’s work protecting the historic gains the LGBTQ community has made in recent years, fighting discriminatory laws and practices, and mobilizing members and supporters to advance equality.
“Our mission to harness the power of design and human connection to enrich lives brings us to support the important work of the HRC, led by Chad Griffin, to create a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights,” said Jim Brett, president, West Elm. “Because the best way to affect change is to be part of that change, we created the “Love is Love” mug as one easy way for our brands — West Elm, Williams Sonoma, and Pottery Barn – to engage our communities with awareness of fundamental fairness and equality. We are proud to help HRC spread the word. And the Love.”
“We are grateful to West Elm President Jim Brett Jr., along with the entire Williams Sonoma family, for their continued and generous support of LGBTQ equality,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Jim’s leadership on this project reflects his dedication to equal rights for all and comes at a time when we are working harder than ever to hold anti-equality politicians accountable — in our nation’s capital and around the country.”
The mug, patterned with multi-colored tiny hearts, was created and designed by Chelsae Smith and Alexia Chimenti of Williams-Sonoma Inc.. On the mug’s inside rim, the statement “love is love is love…” is featured in a continuous loop. Since it began rolling out in stores, the mug has become a bestseller in its category for the Williams-Sonoma family of brands.
Today, North Carolina legislators introduced companion bills in the North Carolina House and Senate to repeal HB2 and replace it with statewide, LGBTQ-inclusive, non-discrimination protections — the same commonsense protections that exist in 19 states and more than 100 cities across the country. The comprehensive legislation was introduced by Representatives Pricey Harrison, Deb Butler, Kelly Alexander, Susan Fisher and Senators Terry Van Duyn, Mike Woodard, and Jay Chaudhuri.
“My hometown of Greensboro has suffered enormously from economic losses because of HB2, and the potential economic harm from the NCAA pull-out for the next 6 years is even greater.” said Representative Pricey Harrison, one of the sponsors of the House legislation. “The bill introduced today is a clean repeal of HB2 and provides enhanced statewide non-discrimination protections. This bill reflects North Carolina values, unlike HB2. It is long overdue and we will work our hardest to enact this legislation.”
“HB2 denies equal protections to our LGBTQ brothers and sisters,” said Senator Terry Van Duyn, one of the sponsors of the Senate legislation. “It targets them, and excludes them from the same rights and assurances many of us take for granted. I cannot ignore the unfair and unequal persecution of some members of my community while enjoying protections that they don’t have. HB2 codifies the marginalization of people just because of who they are. That kind of discrimination is not only cruel, but it is bad for North Carolina and it is bad for business. It is time that we repeal HB2 and reaffirm that every citizen in North Carolina deserves the opportunity to pursue their dreams and to be treated with equal respect. Then we can say North Carolina is truly open for business.”
“It’s a fact that every single day, HB2 has hurt our economy. It’s a fact, that lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and especially transgender people, like myself, are at direct risk for discrimination and even violence because of this awful law,” said Equality NC Director of Transgender Policy Ames Simmons. “Repealing HB2 is just the first step to fixing our state and making sure we are open for business. Our goal should not be mediocracy but excellence. We need fully inclusive, comprehensive non-discrimination protections. Senator Berger and House Speaker Moore must immediately repeal HB2, and enact common sense protections.”
“The economic fallout over HB2 continues to mount, and it’s far past time for lawmakers to take action by repealing and replacing this vile, reckless law,” said HRC Field Director Marty Rouse. “The only law in the nation that mandates discrimination against transgender people, HB2 is an unprecedented attack on LGBTQ North Carolinians and visitors to the state. By repealing it and replacing it with fully inclusive, commonsense non-discrimination protections, the state can finally begin to repair the incredible harm HB2 has caused.”
The comprehensive repeal and replace legislation introduced today comes after the North Carolina Sports Association sent a letter to lawmakers warning of a loss of NCAA championship games through 2022 if HB2 is not immediately repealed. In the letter, the North Carolina Sports Association warned lawmakers that the NCAA decision could cost the state at least another half a billion dollars in economic activity when other sports organizations follow the NCAA’s lead in moving events out of the state. In November 2016, Forbes estimated that the state had already lost hundreds of millions of dollars in business due to HB2.
In November, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory became the only incumbent governor from either party to lose on election day specifically because he championed and signed HB2 into law. North Carolina polling released by HRC and Equality NC found that HB2 was the number one issue leading to Governor Pat McCrory’s defeat — the only incumbent governor from either party to lose on election day. The survey found that 62 percent of voters opposed HB2, while only 30 percent supported the law. HB2 was also listed as the leading reason to vote against McCrory — with 57 percent citing the bill, 17 points above any other issue.
Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Betsy DeVos’ nomination for Secretary of Education, despite hundreds of thousands of calls, emails and letters from parents, students and advocates for inclusive public education asking senators to vote no.
“During her confirmation hearing, DeVos refused to commit to ensuring federal-level protections are maintained for all youth – particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, students with disabilities and students who have experienced sexual assault. While this remains a concern for GLSEN, we draw inspiration from the tremendous outcry, which demonstrates that support for inclusive public education remains strong.
“This is the first time in our nation’s history that the Vice President has had to vote for a Cabinet member to reach a Senate majority. This confirmation process has shown the heart and soul of our country is grounded in our support of public education, and we will not cease to demand equity for all students. We want our schools and our teachers to have the right resources to serve every child, and we expect every child to receive a meaningful education.
“Ms. DeVos worked remarkably hard to be seen as unthreatening to LGBTQ youth. The proof will be in her actions while she serves as Secretary of Education. Whatever her plans once in office, those prepping her for the hearings clearly understood that attacking LGBTQ youth is no longer a winning formula. That has been a transformation 26 years in the making and one of which we can all be tremendously proud. But we will remain vigilant in advocating whenever LGBTQ students are put at risk.
“While we are disappointed in those Senators who voted to confirm her nomination, we are incredibly thankful for the support from Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who along with Senate Democrats, voted against DeVos, citing real concerns about her readiness to lead the nation’s public schools and ensure full access to education for all students.
“We call on Secretary DeVos to honor her confirmation commitment to address ‘the needs of all parents and students’ and to be ‘a strong advocate for great public schools.’ DeVos can begin these efforts by continuing in the tradition of the departing Department of Education staff and meeting with LGBTQ youth from GLSEN Chapters and student clubs nationally.
“GLSEN is willing to work with DeVos and the Department of Education to organize this meeting, and to discuss how Department of Education funding can best be utilized to meet the needs of marginalized communities.”
Recent developments have prompted Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) to revise and reissue its position statement on the protections of transgender and transitioning people under Title IX. The arguments for inclusion remain largely unchanged, however the history of the issue has been edited to reflect changes in the current political winds.
