A4TE Condemns Trump Executive Order Targeting Trans Youth in Schools

Washington, D.C. Today, President Trump signed an executive order that seeks to remove protections for transgender students and criminalize teachers and school officials who support them. Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) Executive Director, released the following statement:

“President Trump is being the bully-in-chief. This administration wants to outlaw kindness and common decency in schools and make it illegal for teachers to call their students by the name they want to be called. They are willing to do and say anything to undermine the basic tenets of democracy, including trying to paint anyone who believes in equity or wants safety and respect for students as anti-American.

“Banning trans and nonbinary youth from public facilities that match their gender identity or encouraging teachers to disrespect their students’ pronouns violates the constitution and puts those students in harm’s way. 

“The scapegoating of trans students and developmentally appropriate curricula is from an old playbook. Trump and his Project 2025 cronies want to erode public good and divest from public education, and they have opted for the most spineless approach by attacking trans young people. This executive order does not change the law, but it sends a harmful message to trans young people and could make school harder for students who are already struggling to get through each day. 

“Our team of lawyers and policy analysts will be scrutinizing the executive order closely in the coming days for its impact on our community, and we stand ready to use every resource at our disposal, from Capitol Hill to the courts, to defend the rights of all students, parents, and teachers who deserve to feel safe and welcome at school.”