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March 30, 2016
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Obama,
As supporters of educational opportunity for all students, we are writing to urge you work with
Secretary of Education John King to swiftly issue guidance to school districts across the country
regarding the legal responsibility of districts to protect transgender students and transgender
students rights under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Your Administration has a strong record of standing up for equal educational opportunity for all,
including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. Unfortunately, while research
shows that transgender students who are supported by their families, schools, and communities
thrive, too many continue to face educational barriers caused by a lack of understanding and
accommodation in our nations schools. In a national survey, more than 75% of transgender
middle and high school students said they felt unsafe at school because of their gender
expression, and many said they avoided using school restrooms and locker rooms altogether out
of fear. To date, the Departments of Education and Justice have issued several pieces of
important guidance and have resolved or weighed in on several key cases to ensure a fair chance
for students who are LGBT. Yet schools across the country are desperately seeking practical
guidance on everyday issues that affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of transgender and
gender nonconforming students.
Providing this guidance to schools is extremely urgent in light of pending litigation across the
country and a set of unprecedented proposals currently before state legislaturesincluding one
just passed in North Carolina that would threaten the dignity and safety of transgender students
and require school districts to violate Title IX. Specific guidance from the Department of
Education on the issue would help inform courts, state legislators, and most importantly, local
school districts.
We urge you to work expeditiously with Secretary King and his staff to issue such guidance as
soon as possible.
Sincerely,

Michael M. Honda
Member of Congress
Chair, Transgender Equality Task Force

~e Speier
ber of Congress
nsgender Equality Task Force

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Eleanor Holmes Norton

Member of Congress
Transgender Equality Task Force

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Ru n Gallego
Member of Congress

Mike Quigley
Member of Congress
Transgender Equality Task Force

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Member of Congress
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Member of Congress

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Member of Congress

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Member of Congress

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Member of Congress

Bill Foster
Member of Congress

Chellie Pingree
Member of Congress
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Member of Congress

Brian Higgins
Member of Congress

Patrick E. Murphy
Member of Congress

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Member of Congress

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Mem~r of Congress

Alan Lowenthal
Member of Congress

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Member of Congress
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