By NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
PUBLISHED: 16:42 EDT, 26 April 2024 | UPDATED: 16:46 EDT, 26 April 2024.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he will ‘not comply’ with the Biden administration’s new rules that clarify Title IX forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The failed 2024 presidential candidate said in a video on X that ‘Florida rejects Joe Biden‘s attempt to rewrite Title IX.’
Last Friday the Biden administration rolled out new rules that would allow LGBTQ+ students who face discrimination to take the issue to their school under Title IX protections and also seek recourse from the federal government.
The White House stopped at addressing Republican-backed bans on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
The move was largely seen as the administration avoiding a deeply politicized issue in an election year.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a video on X Thursday that ‘Florida rejects Joe Biden’s attempt to rewrite Title IX’ .
The new rule clarifies Title IX forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
Still, DeSantis suggested that the Title IX revision addressed this issue.
‘We are not going to let Joe Biden try to inject men into women’s activities,’ the Florida governor said.
‘We are not going to let Joe Biden undermine the rights of parents. And we are not going to let Joe Biden abuse his constitutional authority to try and impose these policies on us here in Florida,’ DeSantis added.
DeSantis boasted that he was standing with ‘opportunities.’
‘We are not going to let Joe Biden get away with it,’ he stated. ‘We will not comply.’
What the Biden administration did was clarify that the 1972 law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The new rule makes ‘crystal clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming and that respect their rights,’ Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told The Associated Press amid the rollout.
What President Joe Biden’s administration did was clarify that the 1972 law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
Trans rights supporters gather in Florida in November 2022. DeSantis has made targeting trans Americans part ofhis political brand
‘No one should face bullying or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,’ Cardona told reporters. ‘Sadly, this happens all too often.’
A number of Republicans in Congress pushed back after the revision and said Congress never intended such protections under Title IX.
Beyond DeSantis, Louisiana’s top education official instructed schools to ignore the Biden administration’s revised Title IX rule.
The rules are set to take effect on August 1.
DeSantis has made targeting transgender Americans part of his political brand – signing a number of laws last year that prevented gender-affirming care, among other issues.