"We're behind you." The Biden administration sent a video message to trans students before the start of the school year
At a time when children and young people around the world are preparing to go back to school, either full-time or distance, US President Joe Biden's administration has issued a video message to trans students across the US, according to NBC News.
In a joint video released Thursday, Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights Suzanne Goldberg, Deputy Attorney General Kristen Clarke and Department of Health Under Secretary Rachel Levine outlined the federal government's support for transgender students. This comes at a time when there are growing efforts at the state level to push for transphobic laws in the U.S. Goldberg , who is a lesbian, spoke in a video about the fears many trans students have about returning to school. "If you're a transgender student, you may be worried about how you'll be accepted into the new school year and whether you'll be treated with respect," she said in the video. Kristen Clarke praised the work of many teachers across the country in creating a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ students. "We want you to know that the Department of Education and the entire federal government is behind you. Your rights in school are important. You matter," added Rachel Levine, who is the highest ranking trans politician in U.S. history.
Goldberg concluded by urging trans students who face discrimination to file a complaint with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. This is not the first time the Joe Biden administration has tried to improve the situation for trans people since taking office. In an executive order issued on his first day in office, the president extended federal protections against discrimination to LGBTQ Americans, stating that "children should be able to learn without fear of being denied access to the restroom, locker room, or school sports." As mentioned, political transphobia is on the rise in the U.S. today. According to NBC, more than 75 bills have been introduced in the last two years alone that would ban trans children from participating in school sporting events, and have been passed in nine U.S. states. You can watch the video at this link.
