The Pros And Cons Of Title IX

Recent controversies over the merits of Title IX draw attention to how the shift in social support or opposition influences the type of legislation that policymakers pass. Title IX became federal law in 1972 and prohibits federally funded “educational institutions from discriminating against students or employees based on sex” (Title IX, 1972). In 2011, the Obama Administration interpreted this law to apply to the right of transgender students in school to use bathrooms and gym lockers that match their gender identities. Initially, the battle of transgenders’ rights was a social matter; however, when transgender students in grades K-12 begin to experience the repercussions of the ongoing civil rights issue, educational justice and civil rights

This existing system of creating policy causes there to be a dichotomy between pertinent issues and mainstream issues. Thus, this paper defines pertinent issues as issues that are highly relevant due to its relevance to either national security or the general welfare of the nation (or possibly both). Whereas a mainstream issue is defined as an issue that has caught the public’s attention, but is not necessary a pressing issue. Pertinent issues, such as the racial wealth gap, do not always find their way on policymakers’ immediate agenda when mainstream issues, such as gun-control laws, capture their constituents’ attention and resources. Another issue that would constitute as pertinent is the environment, particularly global warming. In a 2017 Gallup Poll, 3% of Americans found this issue to be an important problem (Gallup, 2017). Even though the issue of global warming is currently producing more “destructive hurricanes and longer and more damaging wildfire seasons” (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2017). Global warming does not appear to meet the standard of a mainstream issue because it lacks controversy. Though there is a proportion of the population who does not believe that global warming is occuring, scientific evidence as well as visible changes in our weather patterns assert that this issue is real. The federal government,

For instance, to garner support for the transgender bathroom rights movement, the LGBT+ community elicited advocates from celebrities and through provocative conversations on social media and late night television shows. While Congress debated the issue, the issue as a human right gained national traction and President Obama issued an executive order on the matter. Subsequently, the Department of Education issued a series of rules and regulations supporting this declaration. Notably, they released a document entitled Examples of Policies and Emerging Practices for Supporting Transgender Students which essentially complies nationwide effective practices and policies for transgender student support. The document outlines existing practices that are aligned with the protection of transgender rights and common questions on topics such as terminology (Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, 2016). The above example demonstrates that forces outside government can influence the policy agenda of elites inside