GLSEN Condemns Mississippi's Continued Attacks Against Transgender Students
For Immediate Release: May 14, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
GLSEN Condemns Mississippi's Continued Attacks Against Transgender Students and the State's Anti-Trans Regulation of School Facilities
May 14, 2024 – GLSEN, the leading national non-profit working to support LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schools and learning environments, denounces Mississippi’s incessant and irresponsible attacks against its transgender community. Following a 2021 bill to ban transgender athletes from competing on sports teams not consistent with their sex assigned at birth, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed on Monday an even more restrictive bill regulating transgender people’s use of bathrooms, locker rooms, and dormitories in public education buildings.
The new law, which took effect immediately, only allows students to enter spaces that correspond to their sex assigned at birth. This is the first state law regulating transgender students' access to facilities in K-12 schools to be passed into law since the February 2024 death of Nex Benedict, a transgender/nonbinary student who was physically assaulted in a school bathroom. 10 other states have similar “bathroom ban” laws on the books.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education updated Title IX regulations to clarify that federal law requires schools to ensure that students are treated consistent with their gender identity in sex-separated spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms. In the Governor’s effort to police transgender people’s right to exist in public spaces, Mississippi is one of 22 states challenging the new Title IX regulations in courts. The state’s failure to comply with federal nondiscrimination law could jeopardize federal funding for Mississippi schools, which accounted for $1.03 billion in funding to the state (20% of all education spending in the state) in fiscal year 2023.
GLSEN’s Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she) provided the following statement:
"Mississippi's continued attacks on transgender students are not just dangerous for students, they’re also enshrining discrimination into state law that clearly conflicts with federal civil rights protections. GLSEN vehemently condemns the signing of this hateful policy, which not only attempts to strip away the rights of transgender youth but also perpetuates a culture of fear and discrimination. By enacting transphobic measures that target some of the most vulnerable members of our community, Governor Reeves and the leaders of Mississippi’s legislature demonstrate a callous disregard for the well-being and safety of all students. It's particularly egregious that these actions come in the wake of Nex Benedict's tragic death, a stark reminder of the real-life consequences of such hateful legislation. Hate breeds hate, and these policies only serve to fuel the flames of intolerance and violence. We refuse to stand idly by as bigotry masquerades as legislation, and we will continue to fight tirelessly until every student is given the respect, protection, and opportunity they deserve."
For press inquiries, please reach out to:
Madison Hamilton, Director of Communications and Public Voice, GLSEN
[email protected]
Mark Umbach, Lucky Break PR
[email protected]
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ABOUT GLSEN
GLSEN is a multi-racial intergenerational LGBTQ+ organization working nationally and locally to transform K-12 educational systems in the United States. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators in K-12 schools, via action at the national, state, and local level. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ+ students across the United States and helped launch an international movement to address LGBTQ+ issues in education.