Statement: NEW Pride Agenda Responds to Trump Administration’s Stripping of Funding from New York City Public Schools Over Trans Students Protections
Contact:
Max Schulman, max@anatgerstein.com, 347-861-4167
NEW Pride Agenda Responds to Trump Administration’s Stripping of Funding from New York City Public Schools Over Trans Student Protections
Organization denounces U.S. Department of Education for attacking trans students, lauds education officials for resisting federal threats
(September 25, 2025) –– The NEW Pride Agenda, New York State’s leading LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s move to withhold federal funding from the New York City Public School system for maintaining its protections for trans and gender nonconforming students:
“Trans and gender nonconforming students have the right to learn, play sports, use facilities, and participate fully in school life as their authentic selves. That is the law in New York, and it is a reflection of our values as a state.
“The Trump administration’s move to withhold funding from New York City Public Schools for upholding those rights and values is cynical, cruel, and dangerous. But the NEW Pride Agenda was proud to see education officials stand firm against this attack, and defend our protections for transgender students. We cannot give an inch, or they will take a mile and use trans youth as a pretext for freezing even more funding.
“The federal government is holding New York’s schools hostage, demanding that we erase trans youth in exchange for resources that should belong to all students. Our education officials are holding firm and are not paying ransom. We urge all of our elected officials to demonstrate this courage and resolve as we face future attacks.
“We cannot forget this campaign of intimidation is not new. For decades, the far right has tried to paint LGBTQIA+ people as a threat to this country, just as they have done with other marginalized groups. We recognize this move for what it is: baseless, offensive, and dangerous. New Yorkers see through it, and we will not allow our youth to be used as scapegoats in the Trump administration’s wider effort to dismantle public education.”
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