Education Department says Title IX protections apply to LGBTQ students

The Education Department on Wednesday issued guidance that Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, a reversal of the Trump administration's stance that gay and transgender students are not protected by the law.

The department cited in its decision the Supreme Court's ruling just a year ago that federal civil rights law protects transgender, gay and lesbian workers -- a ruling the Biden administration has been using during its early months to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans in a number of different areas of life.