Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair. He is also the first disabled governor in Texas history.
Greg Abbott Defies Joe Biden With Order To Ignore New Law
Greg Abbott has instructed universities and community colleges in the state to ignore the Biden administration's recent revisions to Title IX, which include a ban on discrimination based on gender identity.Title IX, which forms part of a 1972 amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965, outlaws discrimination based on sex within any educational body receiving federal money.
The Biden administration's update, which was released in April and takes effect on August 1, extends this to cover discrimination over gender identity or sex stereotypes in a move to better protect transgender students.
It also reversed a Trump-era edit that gave additional rights to students accused of engaging in sexual misconduct.The status of transgender rights in education, and in particular their access to bathrooms and involvement in sport teams matching their gender identity, has become a heated political issue in recent years.
Supporters of the Title IX change argue it will better protect transgender rights, while critics claim the participation of what they regard as biological males will undermine women's sports and create safety issues.On X, formerly Twitter, Abbott shared part of an open letter he wrote to Texas colleges and universities telling them to defy the new Title IX edits.He wrote: "Texas will not comply with President Biden's rewrite of Title IX.
