Title IX Anniversary: Students Need Strong Protections
Today marks the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation that established protections against sex- and gender-based discrimination at schools and universities.
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from universities and schools that allow transgender students to play sports, accusing them of violating Title IX – while at the same time, directing the Department of Education to pause existing Office of Civil Rights investigations and leave countless survivors of sexual violence without protection or support.
Emma Grasso Levine, Senior Manager of Title IX Policy and Programs at the leading Title IX advocacy project Know Your IX (a survivor- and youth-led program of Advocates for Youth), issued the following statement:
“Today, as we celebrate Title IX and the activists who advocated for its passage, we must also grapple with its yet-unrealized promise to eradicate sex-based discrimination in schools.
Title IX was always intended to establish equitable access to school spaces and educational opportunities for all students. Lately, political extremists have mischaracterized and weaponized the legacy of Title IX against transgender young people, wielding a piece of legislation meant to create safe and supportive schools against the very students who need its protection the most.
On this anniversary, we continue the fight for a comprehensive Title IX for all students. Survivors of sexual violence, pregnant and parenting students, and LGBTQI+ students need elected officials to step up and fulfill Title IX’s promise of educational opportunity for all – and to stop using Title IX as a cudgel to keep universities in line with the President’s discriminatory agenda.”
###
Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-24 in the U.S. and around the globe.
For Immediate Release: June 23, 2025
Contact: Eleanor Naiman, [email protected]