Trans youth continue to be used by the state’s elected leaders as a political punching bag as Wyoming joins a coalition of states and private parties filing a lawsuit over updated regulations that make it clear that Title IX covers harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex stereotypes.
These new regulations, issued in April, outline schools’ obligations to guarantee that all students – including survivors of sexual harassment, LGBTQ+ students and pregnant and parenting students – have full and equal access to educational opportunities regardless of sex and details that a trans person cannot be prevented from participating in an educational program or activity consistent with their gender identity.
The following statement can be attributed to Libby Skarin, acting executive director for the ACLU of Wyoming:
"Across the country and right here in Wyoming, political attacks against transgender people have grown exponentially over the last several years. This lawsuit is little more than political grandstanding and just the latest attempt to erase transgender people from society. This intolerance against a marginalized group of people is a distraction from our state's real needs and hurts us all.
“If our elected leaders really wanted to protect and promote opportunities for girls and women in education and sports, they would be tackling and addressing the real problems, such as severe underfunding, lack of media coverage, sexist ideologies that suggest that women and girls are weak, and pay equity for coaches and players.
“Trans students participate in sports for the same reasons other young people do: to challenge themselves, improve fitness and be part of a team. Transgender youth in Wyoming deserve all of the benefits that come with participating in sports. They also deserve joy, opportunity and protection, not more bullying from our elected officials.”
About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.
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