Since returning to office, President Trump has signed a series of executive orders targeting transgender and nonbinary people. In Rhode Island, advocates say this sparked uncertainty around protections for transgender youth in public schools.
One executive order declared that the federal government would only recognize two sexes — male and female.
Trump also signed an executive order threatening federal funding for K-12 schools that “support or subsidize the instruction, advancement or promotion of gender ideology.”
The order could impact schools that modify students’ names to fit their preferred names and pronouns. It also might affect schools that allow transgender students to access the bathrooms or participate on sports teams that correspond with their gender identity.
“I do worry that we will reach a point where (the Rhode Island Department of Education) has to comply with the executive orders of the federal government based on the threat of funding being pulled,” said Syed Menebhi MAT’15, a teacher at Blackstone Academy Charter School and adjunct lecturer in education at Brown.
RIDE and the Providence Public School District did not respond to requests for comment regarding how their policies for LGBTQ+ students could be impacted by Trump’s executive orders. The White House also did not respond to a request for comment.
Rhode Island law currently provides students with protection against bullying and harassment on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2016, RIDE developed guidelines for protecting the rights of students who are transgender and non-gender-conforming.
As Blackstone Academy’s Gay-Straight Alliance coordinator, Menebhi works closely with LGBTQ+ students. Menebhi expressed concerns about the mental health impacts of legislation targeting LGBTQ+ youth, pointing to a body of research that shows that the enactment or threat of such legislation worsens adolescent mental health.
Menebhi and Rush Frazier, the director of Youth Pride, Inc., both noted that support for LGBTQ+ students is inconsistent across Rhode Island.
“We see across school districts (that) the way that these administrations treat gender diversity with respect and dignity varies widely,” Frazier said.
“The politics of my school might be much more supportive and much more left than other schools in Rhode Island,” Menebhi said, adding that the state “has quite a way to go before we see this support across the board.”
Menebhi noted that legislation has been proposed in Rhode Island to designate what sports teams student-athletes could play for based on biological sex, barring transgender athletes from playing on the teams that align with their gender identity.
Frazier said that Youth Pride, Inc. receives government funding for its operations. Although concerns about funding persist, the executive orders that would most directly impact their organization have been rescinded.
Trump’s White House previously issued a memo that freezed large swaths of federal funding, before it was later rescinded.
“We’re gonna continue to do our work,” Frazier said. “We’ve got a small team, but we're motivated.”
Correction: A previous version of the article contained an incorrect spelling of Syed Menebhi's last name.
