The U.S. Department of Education has rescinded the Biden administration's Title IX regulations, which had expanded the definition of sex discrimination to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The department announced the rollback, formally restoring regulations from the first Trump administration that defined sex in more traditional terms.

Under the Biden-era rule, finalized in 2024, schools receiving federal funding were required to treat discrimination based on gender identity as a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title IX. The rescinded rule had also addressed issues such as pronoun usage and access to facilities aligned with a student's gender identity. The restored regulations do not include those provisions.

The Education Department's civil rights enforcement capacity has also come under scrutiny. Reporting indicates that staffing cuts and office closures have reduced the department's ability to investigate complaints, with students facing longer wait times for resolution — a concern that extends beyond LGBTQ issues to include students with disabilities and others who file discrimination claims.

The decision is part of a broader pattern of the current administration reversing Biden-era policies across federal agencies. Advocates for LGBTQ students have said the rescission leaves vulnerable students with fewer federal protections, while supporters of the rollback argue it returns Title IX to its original scope and gives schools clearer guidance rooted in biological sex distinctions.