Karine Jean-Pierre pushes back at reporter's transphobic question about Title IX at White House briefing

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre swatted back the false premise by a reporter in Wednesday’s press briefing that recent changes by the Biden administration’s Department of Education to Title IX rules would allow “biological men” to play on women’s sports teams and enter women’s locker rooms.

Related: Federal investigation opens into Owasso Public Schools after death of Nex Benedict

The updated Title IX regulations, which took effect last week, enhance protections for LGBTQ+ students by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These changes have drawn lawsuits from 26 states, with some governors refusing to implement them. Critics argue that the new rules could undermine women’s sports and invade the privacy of female students, while LGBTQ+ advocates say it is an issue of fairness, allowing young people the dignity to be who they are.

During the briefing, Owen Jensen, a reporter for the Catholic news network EWTN, questioned the implications of the new regulations, framing the matter in transphobic rhetoric.

“The new Title IX went into effect last week, last Thursday,” Jensen started. “As you know, it’s faced lots of lawsuits. Many governors say they’re not going to even follow it, so there’s that angle of it. But critics say the new Title IX hurts women and girls. For starters, they say it will destroy women’s sports by allowing biological men to compete directly against women in sports. Does the president share that concern?”

Jean-Pierre responded by emphasizing the administration’s commitment to student safety and inclusivity.

“Every student deserves the right to feel safe in schools,” Jean-Pierre said. “That’s what the rule is all about.” She said that the Title IX changes strengthen and restore protections removed under the Trump administration. She added that the rules aim to curb violence against women, “a priority, not just for this president as president, but certainly during his senate years, throughout his career.”

She added, “This is an important step in ongoing work to end campus sexual assault. That’s what we want to see, and I cannot speak any further to the litigation.”

Related: New Biden administration Title IX rule protects transgender and nonbinary students’ bathroom and pronoun use at school

Jensen tried again and asked her to “address the concerns that the new Title IX rewrite will allow men — biological men — into women’s locker rooms.”

Jean-Pierre dismissed the inquiry. “It’s an ongoing litigation. I’m not going to say anything beyond that,” she responded before moving on. Conservatives have pushed the false and transphobic premise that transgender women are just men who want to be in women’s spaces.

The Department of Education maintains that the new regulations are essential for combating sex-based discrimination and harassment. Announced in April, the final rule was developed after extensive public engagement, including over 240,000 public comments.

The updated rules explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, aligning with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. The landmark decision recognized such forms of discrimination as violations of civil rights.

The regulations also address the usage of pronouns and access to facilities corresponding to a student’s gender identity. Schools are required to take prompt and effective action to end any sex discrimination, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects. The new rules set clear requirements for schools to respond promptly to all complaints of sex discrimination with a fair, transparent, and reliable process.

However, the current regulations do not address the participation of transgender students in sports.

The Biden administration’s commitment to these protections comes at a critical time, underscored by recent tragic events, such as the death of Nex Benedict, a transgender student in Oklahoma who took their life after being bullied. That tragedy prompted a federal civil rights investigation into Owasso Public Schools.

The legal landscape surrounding the Title IX revisions is complex and varied. Among the notable lawsuits is one led by Texas, which argues that the administration’s inclusion of “gender identity” in the definition of “sex” oversteps its authority and misapplies the Supreme Court’s Bostock decision. Another significant case involves a coalition of states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho, which claim that the rule attempts to impose the federal government’s ideological views on local school policies.

Injunctions have been issued in several states, blocking the implementation of the new rules while the cases are litigated. These legal challenges have created a fractured implementation landscape, with the Title IX revisions on hold in numerous states and school districts nationwide.

Watch White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre respond to a reporter’s transphobic question about Title IX below.

- YouTubeyoutu.be