09/29/2026
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education formally rescinded the Title IX rules that protected LGBTQ+ students from discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The repeal takes away the federal standard that told schools, in plain terms, that LGBTQ+ students belong. Transgender students have been targeted most directly, but this affects le***an, gay and bisexual students too. It comes just months after the Supreme Court upheld state bans on transgender girls and women playing school sports.
The message to LGBTQ+ young people is clear, and it is wrong. You deserve to be safe at school. You deserve to be seen. You deserve to learn without fear.
With federal protections gone, decisions about student safety now rest with states, school boards and local leaders. That is why LGBTQ+ representation matters. Openly LGBTQ+ school board members, state legislators and local officials across the country are working to protect students in their communities, and we will keep supporting them.
To every LGBTQ+ student: you are not alone, and we are not backing down.
— LGBTQ+ Victory Fund & LGBTQ+ Victory Institute
