Dutchess County Pride Center co-founder Adam Rubinstein is concerned over recent federal changes to Title IX, the civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. Those changes will roll back protections for LGBTQ+ students.
“These are kids who might not be supported by family,” Rubinstein said. “They might not be supported by the schools and they may not be supported by law enforcement. And if you remove the timeline protections, why would a kid come forward?”
The U.S. Department of Education has formally rescinded the Biden administration’s rewrites to Title IX. Many of the changes impact transgender and gender non-conforming students by removing protections for gender identity.
The Trump administration says this was done to “protect women’s safety, dignity, and educational opportunities in schools that receive federal funding.” This is in line with other actions the administration has made, like banning gender affirming care for kids and veterans.
It also claims that the Biden-era changes created confusion and were an “unlawful attempt to stretch Title IX’s legal protections to cover sexual orientation and gender identity.”
“There was never a single court that upheld the Biden administration rule,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “But it just took this long to be continuing to fight. But now it’s out, done, rescinded.”
Lambda Legal says it will force sexual harassment victims to face cross-examination at their school’s live hearings.
A 2023 study by professors from several universities found that LGBTQ+ students face higher prevalences of sexual violence and underreporting of those incidents. According to The Trevor ProjectLGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
Rubinstein wants to see Congress act.
“Specifically putting in sexual orientation and gender identity to strengthen the laws,” he said. “Because of that vagueness, you can have anyone who sits in the White House make a presidential decree and remove some of these protections.”
Rubinstein also shared other concerns amid the fallout from gang rape allegations at Cornell.
“This also reduces the voices of females who are pregnant in school,” he said. “It reduces the voices of females who have already had a kid and still in school and significantly reduces the voices of victims of rape and sexual abuse.”
But for those who are worried about these changes, Rubenstein says you can find support systems around you.
“If you don’t have support where you want support, we will always support you,” he said. “We are always available. You can always reach out to us, and we will always support you.”
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com
