Mississippi Court Rules Trans Girl Must Dress as Boy for School Graduation
Donald Trump, a Republican who has spoken out against transgender rights in the past.The ruling comes as schools across the country find themselves at the center of the debate about how transgender minors should be treated.LGBTQ+ advocates say schools should respect students' gender identity, and that policies should be enacted to protect the rights of transgender youth.
Conservatives, on the other hand, have passed laws targeting transgender rights, including gender-affirming care for those under the age of 18.
According to the ACLU, at least 490 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced to state legislatures this year.The 17-year-old student, identified only by her initials L.B., was told she could not participate in her graduation while wearing a dress and heeled shoes, according to the complaint filed by the ACLU.
Instead, school district officials said she must wear a white button-down shirt, black dress pants, black dress shoes, and either a tie or bowtie.The complaint wrote that, despite the student and her parents voicing their opposition to the school district's restrictions, officials "refused to back down from their last-minute" decision.
