Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he “will not comply” with new rules from the Biden administration clarifying that Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The failed 2024 presidential candidate said in an X video that ‘Florida rejects Joe Biden’s attempt to rewrite Title IX.’
Last Friday, the Biden administration implemented new rules that would allow LGBTQ+ students facing discrimination to bring the issue to their school under Title IX protections and also seek recourse with the federal government.
The White House failed to address Republican-backed bans on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
The move was largely seen as a way to avoid a deeply politicized issue in an election year.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a Thursday X video that “Florida rejects Joe Biden’s attempt to rewrite Title IX.”
The new rule clarifies that Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Still, DeSantis suggested that the Title IX review address this issue.
“We are not going to allow Joe Biden to try to inject men into women’s activities,” said the Florida governor.
‘We will not allow Joe Biden to undermine parental rights. And we are not going to allow Joe Biden to abuse his constitutional authority to try to impose these policies on us here in Florida,’ DeSantis added.
DeSantis boasted that he was offering “opportunities.”
“We are not going to let Joe Biden get away with this,” he said. “We will not comply.”
What the Biden administration did was clarify that the 1972 law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The new rule makes “very clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming and that respect their rights,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told The Associated Press amid its implementation.
What President Joe Biden’s administration did was clarify that the 1972 law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Trans rights supporters gather in Florida in November 2022. DeSantis has made targeting trans Americans part of his political brand.
“No one should suffer harassment or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,” Cardona told reporters. “Unfortunately, this happens all too often.”
Several Republicans in Congress rejected the review, saying Congress never intended such protections under Title IX.
Beyond DeSantis, Louisiana’s top education official ordered schools to ignore the Biden administration’s revised Title IX rule.
The rules will come into effect on August 1.
DeSantis has made targeting transgender Americans part of his political brand: Last year he signed a series of laws that prevented gender-affirming health care, among other issues.