A virgina student named Gavin Grimm won a battle against his school board for using the school bathroom. Grimm claimed that Gloucester County School Board violated the Title IX law for not letting him use the boys’ bathroom. This was con sidered an act of discrimination of sex which is prohibited by the law. In 2014, the school board allowed Grimm to use the school boys’ bathroom for seven weeks, but then other parents started complaining and he was not allowed to use the boys’ bathroom anymore.
Title IX was part of a law called the Educational Amendments. In this particular section of the law, talked about discrimination. Then, there was specifics made to transgender students. “The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit marks the first time a federal appeals court has determined that Title IX protects the rights of transgender students to use sex-segregated facilities that are consistent with their gender identity” the American Civil Liberties Union said. Meaning that if you are a transgender student, you may use any bathroom that you want to that suits your new gender”.
During Obama’s Presidency Title XI was given a more broad outlook. This broad outlook was more helpful towards transgender students and athletes all throughout America. His approach allows people to determine their sex by what they see themselves as and not what they were born as. This gives those who see themselves as the opposite sex, the rights that come with being the opposite sex then what they were born as. Meaning if a male by birth saw himself as a female could go into a woman’s bathroom. Current President, Trump, however, has taken a different perspective on Title XI.
President Donald Trump has given Title XI a more specific definition of sex. According to The New York Times Trump “wants to create a legal definition of sex as ‘a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth.’” This goes against everything Obama had worked for. Although, Obama’s perspective becomes an issue when a transgender female joins woman's sports and wins because of the physical advantage that comes from being a male. Most would argue that this is false. Additionally, most would argue this is not a good enough reason to not give transgender people the same rights as everyone else. Do you think sex should be given a more specific definition?