This post was updated Oct. 22 at 12:08 a.m.

My teacher pinched her fingers in front of her forehead and pointed to “male” on the projector. She put her thumb on her chin and chest and pointed to “female,” encouraging the class to copy her.

She then cupped her spiraling hand in front of her chest and pointed to “transgender.” The same for “nonbinary” as she signed the letters “n” and “b.” We copied her again.

My American Sign Language 1 class recognizes male, female, nonbinary and transgender people. The same cannot be said of the Trump administration’s Title IX framework.

Last month, the Department of Education reversed Title IX regulations set by the Biden administration, no longer protecting students based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The reinstated rules only recognize two sexes and do not permit transgender students to use facilities that align with their gender identities.

The Department of Education has called the move a restoration of Title IX’s original intent to protect women and girls in its press release.

[Related: Education Department reinstates Trump Title IX rules, rescinds LGBTQ+ protections]

The Trump administration’s Title IX framework hurts transgender and nonbinary students more than it benefits cisgender women. The UCLA community needs to show support for transgender peers to cultivate a safe campus amid these frightening changes.

The 2026 Supreme Court case West Virginia v. B.P.J. ruled that states can separate school athletic teams by biological sex under Title IX.

Elana Redfield, the federal policy director of the Williams Institute at the School of Law, said the ruling on Title IX does not exclude transgender and nonbinary people outright. This decision is instead left up to the states, she added.

“The Trump administration has, of course, taken a maximalist interpretation of the Supreme Court’s position,” Redfield said. “They said, ‘Well, clearly, the Title IX is, and has only ever meant, that cisgender people get protections, and they deserve protection from trans people.’”

The Trump administration is perpetuating an interpretation of Title IX that villainizes transgender and nonbinary people. But that’s not the opinion of many UCLA students.

Ashley Juarez, a fifth-year mechanical engineering student who identifies as a cisgender woman, said the Trump administration’s attempts at regulating the private facilities transgender students can use is not appropriate.

“Who is the government to define what that space looks like? If anything, it’s a student space, right? If we’re talking about it, … the students should have a say in it,” Juarez said.

Support from students like Juarez is vital for Bruins who are transgender to feel accepted on campus.

“We need to see more of our allies, but also our own community, coming together and being very open about that,” said Sammy Andrade-Mayen, a second-year theater student who identifies as gender-fluid. “It’s one thing to support from the sidelines, but we really need to see that support out and in the open because that’s the only way we’re going to see change.”

The UCLA community must take steps to stand in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ community who are targeted by the reinstated framework. Public rallies of support and widespread messages are essential in fostering a safe environment for transgender and nonbinary students.

California has strong state protections for transgender students that weaken the changes the Title IX rollbacks can make. Thus, overt support for transgender students may seem unnecessary on UCLA’s campus.

But rising hate from the White House can still impact transgender Bruins.

“It’s not even just the fact that our protections are being endangered, it’s also the fact that other people see this as a sign that they can continue to get more conservative, to openly oppose trans students,” Andrade-Mayen said.

Be a vocal advocate for transgender and nonbinary students at UCLA, ensuring they have access to resources and a supportive community.

“Inclusionary practices allow people to participate in our education system,” Redfield said.

Fight for your peers and give them the respect and rights they deserve. Hopefully, Title IX will catch up to our ASL 1 curriculum.