President Donald Trump is set to revoke federal guidelines protecting transgender students in public schools, a government official told the Associated Press on Wednesday, February 22.
The decision would reverse protections put in place in May 2016 by former President Barack Obama, whose directive required public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity, even if it doesn’t match the student’s record.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the AP that Trump’s revocation would not affect anti-bullying safeguards. However, the potential reversal would mark a major setback for LGBTQ rights.
“We are hearing that it will be rescinded today [Wednesday],” Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, told Reuters, which obtained a draft of the document.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday, February 21, that the commander in chief, 70, believes that the transgender protections are a “states’ rights issue and not one for the federal government.” During the 2016 election season, Trump first said transgender people should be able to use the bathroom they feel is appropriate, but later reversed his opinion following criticism from the Republican Party.
The federal law, known as Title IX, bans sex discrimination in education. The Supreme Court is set to hear a court case in March to decide whether the protections extend to gender identity. Title IX is not legally binding, but the Obama administration warned that public schools could lose funding if they did not obey it.