A federal judge in Oregon has handed transgender students and inclusive schools a major legal victory. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken announced that she intends to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to strip federal funding from schools that teach about gender identity or include transgender students in their policies. Judge Aiken denounced the administration’s directive as “a sort of separate-but-equal policy” on sex education.
The coalition of 16 states argued that the order of labeling transgender people “false” violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution’s separation of powers. Over recent months, the Trump administration has threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars from school districts that refused to comply with its ban on so-called “social transition.” Districts from Virginia to New York refused, Denver’s superintendent even declared that the district “will protect all of their students from this hostile administration.” The states behind the lawsuit include California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Oregon, among others.
Their collective stand represents a broader pushback against federal efforts to penalize inclusion. For now, the ruling halts the administration’s latest attempt to weaponize education funding against transgender students—affirming that equality in the classroom is not up for negotiation.
