The politics of gender equality in the United States

Abstract

The United States is a nation of immigrants. The United States has always considered itself to be “accepting” of all people from various cultures, ethnic backgrounds, races, and religions and, most recently, sexual orientation. Laws have been enacted to protect the rights of individuals with severe consequences given to those who violate these laws. Title IX (equal rights for female athletes) has celebrated over 40 years of legislative rights. Although this was a controversial legislative act passed in the 1970s, there has been considerable progress made for female athletes being provided the same athletic facilities afforded to male athletes. Title IX’s passage has since provided many females the opportunity to compete in world and Olympic competitions. More recently, protections have been granted to LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/ Questioning) individuals in the United States. There has been increasing pressure on schools to ensure students who identify as LGBTQ are not harassed, intimidated, or bullied. The latest issue of controversy has arisen over the “rights” of transgender students using restrooms and locker rooms of the gender with which they identify (meaning a student born a male, who identifies himself as female, could enter a female restroom or locker room and vice versa). This has caused issues with the “rights” of straight students who use these same facilities. Several states have passed laws which allow transgender students to use whichever facility they want to use. This has caused uproars with school boards, staff members, parents of t-students (transgender students), as well as parents of s-students (straight students). This chapter focuses on the current issue of gender equality in the public education system in the United States, with particular emphasis given to both sides of the debate regarding the controversy of transgender students.