One Hundred and TwenTy Five years OF ediTOrial FreedOm
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Ann Arbor, MI

Weekly Summer Edition
MichiganDaily.com

INDEX

Vol. CXXIv, No. 116 | © 2016 The Michigan Daily 
michigandaily.com

NEWS ....................................
OPINION ............................... 
ARTS ......................................
CLASSIFIEDS.........................
CROSSWORD........................
SPORTS.................................

OPINION
From The Daily

The State Board of 

Education should 

approve pro-transgender 

guidelines. >> SEE PAGE 4

ARTS
‘Scandal’ hype 
slowly derails

Series continues to lose 

momentum in fifth season 

>> SEE PAGE 5

SPORTS
NCAA Softball

The Michigan softball 

team will host the NCAA 

Regional this weekend>> 

SEE PAGE 12

inside

2
4
6
8
8
10

A look at transgender rights on campus

State government 

gridlocked on 

transgender student 

accomodations

By LYDIA MURRAY

Summer Managing News Editor

Amid 
national 
controversy 

over transgender rights, local and 
University of Michigan policies 
have 
moved 
toward 
a 
greater 

accommodation 
of 
transgender 

students, specifically the right to 
choose which restroom they prefer 
to use — despite the issue becoming 
controversial in state legislature.

The 
U.S. 
Departments 
of 

Education and Justice released joint 
guidance Friday to educators, aimed 

at fighting discrimination based on 
sex and particularly highlighting the 
protection of transgender students.

The 
guidance 
tells 
school 

administrations they must treat 
students consistently with their 
gender identity after being informed 
that the student is transgender, 
aimed at preventing bullying and 
discrimination 
of 
transgender 

students.

Under Title IX of the Education 

Amendments of 1972, any school 
receiving federal money is prohibited 
from discriminating against students 
based on sex, which is interpreted to 
include transgender students. The 
recent guidance reaffirms this policy, 
warning educators against Title IX 
violations.

U.S. Secretary of Education John 

King Jr. stated in a press release that 
all students — including transgender 

students — should be able to learn in 
a safe environment, as mandated by 
Title IX.

“No student should ever have to 

go through the experience of feeling 
unwelcome at school or on a college 
campus,” King said in a statement. 
“This guidance further clarifies what 
we’ve said repeatedly — that gender 
identity is protected under Title IX. 
Educators want to do the right thing 
for students, and many have reached 
out to us for guidance on how to 
follow the law.”

LGBT Michigan president Emily 

Kaufman, an LSA junior and a 
transgender woman, said she believes 
the 
Obama 
administration 
has 

recently taken important steps to help 
protect the transgender community.

“Generally, 
what 
the 
Obama 

administration has been saying in 
the past few weeks is that trans lives 

matter and that we are people,” she 
said. “There are all these negative 
stereotypes, 
so 
by 
the 
Obama 

administration doing these things, it 
will protect the most marginalized 
people, and it is really a big step 
forward.”

The 
Obama 
administration’s 

announcement 
follows 
recent 

controversy over a lawpassed in 
North Carolina, referred to as the 
North Carolina “bathroom bill,” 
which prohibits transgender people 
from using restrooms or locker rooms 
that do not match the gender on their 
birth certificates.

The bill has drawn heavy criticism 

from civil liberties groups, LGBTQ 
advocates and major businesses. 
Since its passage, several performers 
including Bruce Springsteen, Demi 
Lovato, Nick Jonas and the bands 
Pearl Jam and Boston cancelled 

concerts in North Carolina as a 
demonstration of protest protest. The 
bill additionally garnered praise from 
socially conservative groups like the 
Family Research Council.

Most 
recently, 
the 
Justice 

Department filed a civil rights lawsuit 
against the state of North Carolina. 
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch 
said the suit represents more than just 
a battle over bathrooms, according to 
a May 9 statement. 

“This is about the dignity and 

respect that we accord our fellow 
citizens and the laws we have enacted 
as a country to protect them and to 
protect us,” Lynch said.

Supporters of North Carolina’s 

“bathroom 
bill” 
claim 
sexual 

predators can take advantage of 
the ability to enter the bathroom of 
their choice to attack others. Despite 

See TRANSGENDER, Page 9

http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/ntds_state_mi.pdf

Nearly 90% of LGBTQ homicide victims in 2013 were people of 
color.
 
72% being transgender women

 
67% percent transgender women of color

In the state of Michigan, 84% reported experiencing harassment 
or mistreatment on the job.
 
34% lost a job 

 
23% were denied a promotion 

Transgender students in grades K-12 reported rates of harassment 
of 84%.
 
9% of cases led to transgender students dropping out in 

 
K-12 or higher education settings

http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/ntds_state_mi.pdf

http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/ntds_state_mi.pdf

http://www.avp.org/resources/avp-resources/315

A2 budget passed

Final 2017 budget cuts 

commitment to light rail 

project, >> SEE PAGE 3

NEWS

