Trump Administration revokes guidance for trans students

As expected, the Trump Administration rescinded protective guidance for transgender students in US schools.

The guidance had been introduced by the Obama Administration and it instructed public schools to allow trans students to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity. But the Trump Administration finally revoked that guidance.

Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, said that the new guidelines would be in line with Trump’s previous assertion that “he is a firm believer in states’ rights and that certain issues like this are not best dealt with on the federal level”.

In the US, there are approximately 150,000 transgender youth (age 13-17) and 206,000 young adults (18 to 24), according to the Williams Institute.

Transgender students face disproportionately high rates of bullying, harassment and discrimination at school the guidance helped provide non-discrimination protections for them in the US education system.