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Children hold placards supporting transgender children in sports at a demonstration at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on June 25, 2021.
"Absolutely no reason for the Biden administration to do this," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "It is indefensible and embarrassing."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday was among the progressives denouncing the Biden administration's newly proposed rules for transgender student athletes, which critics said would open the door to discrimination at all age levels despite the U.S. Department of Education's statement that "categorically" banning trans athletes from teams that align with their gender identity would be illegal under the rule.
Elementary age students would generally be permitted to play on sports teams according to their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth, but universities and K-12 schools would be given "flexibility to develop team eligibility criteria that serve important educational objectives, such as ensuring fairness in competition or preventing sports-related injury," according to the Education Department.
"Considerations may be different for competitive high school and college teams," which would be given discretion to limit participation of transgender students, the department said.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the proposed policy, a reversal of an executive order President Joe Biden signed on his first day in office in 2021, "indefensible and embarrassing," and urged the administration to promptly "walk this back."
\u201cAbsolutely no reason for the Biden admin to do this. It is indefensible and embarrassing.\n\nThe admin can still walk this back, and they should. It\u2019s a disgrace\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1680824478
Biden's earlier order said that under the U.S. Constitution children "should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports," noting that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation at schools that receive federal funding.
"To put it mildly, this is extraordinarily disappointing and a total reversal from a position the Biden administration has taken since Day One," said Slate journalist Mark Joseph Stern.
Some advocacy groups applauded the administration for prohibiting blanket bans on transgender athletes, with GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) saying the rule "affirms the importance of giving transgender students the chance to play sports."
"The proposed rule prohibits the kind of categorical bans adopted in too many states that are hurting transgender students and that send a dangerous message to all students," said Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD.
But Lambda Legal, which represented a transgender girl who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday should be permitted to play on her school's girls' cross country and track team for the time being, raised concerns that the so-called "flexibility" given to schools under the law would not "properly eliminate the discrimination that transgender students experience due to the pervasive bias and ignorance about who they are."
"These students must have full and equal chances to participate because participation in athletics provides many long-term benefits for young people, including important health benefits, and chances to develop leadership skills, discipline, and self-confidence," said Sasha Buchert, senior attorney at Lambda Legal. "Given the importance of the opportunity to participate in athletics to students' educational experience, we look forward to submitting comments and working with the administration to further remove those remaining bigotry-based barriers to full and equal participation by transgender youth."
Buchert toldThe New York Times that anti-transgender lawmakers "would absolutely seek to apply this across the board... whether we are talking about a 6-year-old playing soccer or someone playing varsity volleyball"—a fear that Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz confirmed as he told the newspaper, "This won't fly in Florida. We will never allow boys to play in girls' sports."
Emma Grasso Levine, Title IX policy and program manager for the Know Your IX project at Advocates for Youth, called on the Biden administration to ensure that, following a 30-day public comment period, "the final version of this Title IX regulation goes farther to eliminate discriminatory practices in schools."
"In alignment with Title IX's promise, it is the responsibility of the Biden administration to eliminate all transphobic, discriminatory barriers that are currently taking root in school policies," said Levine.
Alejandra Caraballo of the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic said the proposed policy "is worse than [the Biden administration] doing nothing" about transgender sports bans.
\u201cThis is worse than doing nothing, it's spreading thin already extremely limited time by trans folks to have to deal with this bullshit. They are helping the anti-trans side and legitamizing their transphobic talking points.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1680813951
The policy was proposed as at least 20 states have passed laws barring transgender students from playing on sports teams according to their gender identity, and right-wing lawmakers across the nation are seeking to bar transgender youths and adults from accessing gender-affirming healthcare, which medical experts say significantly reduces depression and suicidal ideation in transgender people.
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday was among the progressives denouncing the Biden administration's newly proposed rules for transgender student athletes, which critics said would open the door to discrimination at all age levels despite the U.S. Department of Education's statement that "categorically" banning trans athletes from teams that align with their gender identity would be illegal under the rule.
Elementary age students would generally be permitted to play on sports teams according to their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth, but universities and K-12 schools would be given "flexibility to develop team eligibility criteria that serve important educational objectives, such as ensuring fairness in competition or preventing sports-related injury," according to the Education Department.
"Considerations may be different for competitive high school and college teams," which would be given discretion to limit participation of transgender students, the department said.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the proposed policy, a reversal of an executive order President Joe Biden signed on his first day in office in 2021, "indefensible and embarrassing," and urged the administration to promptly "walk this back."
\u201cAbsolutely no reason for the Biden admin to do this. It is indefensible and embarrassing.\n\nThe admin can still walk this back, and they should. It\u2019s a disgrace\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1680824478
Biden's earlier order said that under the U.S. Constitution children "should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports," noting that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation at schools that receive federal funding.
"To put it mildly, this is extraordinarily disappointing and a total reversal from a position the Biden administration has taken since Day One," said Slate journalist Mark Joseph Stern.
Some advocacy groups applauded the administration for prohibiting blanket bans on transgender athletes, with GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) saying the rule "affirms the importance of giving transgender students the chance to play sports."
"The proposed rule prohibits the kind of categorical bans adopted in too many states that are hurting transgender students and that send a dangerous message to all students," said Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD.
But Lambda Legal, which represented a transgender girl who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday should be permitted to play on her school's girls' cross country and track team for the time being, raised concerns that the so-called "flexibility" given to schools under the law would not "properly eliminate the discrimination that transgender students experience due to the pervasive bias and ignorance about who they are."
"These students must have full and equal chances to participate because participation in athletics provides many long-term benefits for young people, including important health benefits, and chances to develop leadership skills, discipline, and self-confidence," said Sasha Buchert, senior attorney at Lambda Legal. "Given the importance of the opportunity to participate in athletics to students' educational experience, we look forward to submitting comments and working with the administration to further remove those remaining bigotry-based barriers to full and equal participation by transgender youth."
Buchert toldThe New York Times that anti-transgender lawmakers "would absolutely seek to apply this across the board... whether we are talking about a 6-year-old playing soccer or someone playing varsity volleyball"—a fear that Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz confirmed as he told the newspaper, "This won't fly in Florida. We will never allow boys to play in girls' sports."
Emma Grasso Levine, Title IX policy and program manager for the Know Your IX project at Advocates for Youth, called on the Biden administration to ensure that, following a 30-day public comment period, "the final version of this Title IX regulation goes farther to eliminate discriminatory practices in schools."
"In alignment with Title IX's promise, it is the responsibility of the Biden administration to eliminate all transphobic, discriminatory barriers that are currently taking root in school policies," said Levine.
Alejandra Caraballo of the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic said the proposed policy "is worse than [the Biden administration] doing nothing" about transgender sports bans.
\u201cThis is worse than doing nothing, it's spreading thin already extremely limited time by trans folks to have to deal with this bullshit. They are helping the anti-trans side and legitamizing their transphobic talking points.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1680813951
The policy was proposed as at least 20 states have passed laws barring transgender students from playing on sports teams according to their gender identity, and right-wing lawmakers across the nation are seeking to bar transgender youths and adults from accessing gender-affirming healthcare, which medical experts say significantly reduces depression and suicidal ideation in transgender people.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday was among the progressives denouncing the Biden administration's newly proposed rules for transgender student athletes, which critics said would open the door to discrimination at all age levels despite the U.S. Department of Education's statement that "categorically" banning trans athletes from teams that align with their gender identity would be illegal under the rule.
Elementary age students would generally be permitted to play on sports teams according to their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth, but universities and K-12 schools would be given "flexibility to develop team eligibility criteria that serve important educational objectives, such as ensuring fairness in competition or preventing sports-related injury," according to the Education Department.
"Considerations may be different for competitive high school and college teams," which would be given discretion to limit participation of transgender students, the department said.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the proposed policy, a reversal of an executive order President Joe Biden signed on his first day in office in 2021, "indefensible and embarrassing," and urged the administration to promptly "walk this back."
\u201cAbsolutely no reason for the Biden admin to do this. It is indefensible and embarrassing.\n\nThe admin can still walk this back, and they should. It\u2019s a disgrace\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1680824478
Biden's earlier order said that under the U.S. Constitution children "should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports," noting that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation at schools that receive federal funding.
"To put it mildly, this is extraordinarily disappointing and a total reversal from a position the Biden administration has taken since Day One," said Slate journalist Mark Joseph Stern.
Some advocacy groups applauded the administration for prohibiting blanket bans on transgender athletes, with GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) saying the rule "affirms the importance of giving transgender students the chance to play sports."
"The proposed rule prohibits the kind of categorical bans adopted in too many states that are hurting transgender students and that send a dangerous message to all students," said Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD.
But Lambda Legal, which represented a transgender girl who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday should be permitted to play on her school's girls' cross country and track team for the time being, raised concerns that the so-called "flexibility" given to schools under the law would not "properly eliminate the discrimination that transgender students experience due to the pervasive bias and ignorance about who they are."
"These students must have full and equal chances to participate because participation in athletics provides many long-term benefits for young people, including important health benefits, and chances to develop leadership skills, discipline, and self-confidence," said Sasha Buchert, senior attorney at Lambda Legal. "Given the importance of the opportunity to participate in athletics to students' educational experience, we look forward to submitting comments and working with the administration to further remove those remaining bigotry-based barriers to full and equal participation by transgender youth."
Buchert toldThe New York Times that anti-transgender lawmakers "would absolutely seek to apply this across the board... whether we are talking about a 6-year-old playing soccer or someone playing varsity volleyball"—a fear that Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz confirmed as he told the newspaper, "This won't fly in Florida. We will never allow boys to play in girls' sports."
Emma Grasso Levine, Title IX policy and program manager for the Know Your IX project at Advocates for Youth, called on the Biden administration to ensure that, following a 30-day public comment period, "the final version of this Title IX regulation goes farther to eliminate discriminatory practices in schools."
"In alignment with Title IX's promise, it is the responsibility of the Biden administration to eliminate all transphobic, discriminatory barriers that are currently taking root in school policies," said Levine.
Alejandra Caraballo of the Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic said the proposed policy "is worse than [the Biden administration] doing nothing" about transgender sports bans.
\u201cThis is worse than doing nothing, it's spreading thin already extremely limited time by trans folks to have to deal with this bullshit. They are helping the anti-trans side and legitamizing their transphobic talking points.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1680813951
The policy was proposed as at least 20 states have passed laws barring transgender students from playing on sports teams according to their gender identity, and right-wing lawmakers across the nation are seeking to bar transgender youths and adults from accessing gender-affirming healthcare, which medical experts say significantly reduces depression and suicidal ideation in transgender people.
"Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who are standing up and speaking out for our voting rights, fundamental freedoms, and essential services like Social Security and Medicare."
In communities large and small across the United States on Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people collectively took to the streets to make their opposition to President Donald Trump heard.
The people who took part in the organized protests ranged from very young children to the elderly and their message was scrawled on signs of all sizes and colors—many of them angry, some of them funny, but all in line with the "Hands Off" message that brought them together.
"Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who are standing up and speaking out for our voting rights, fundamental freedoms, and essential services like Social Security and Medicare," said the group Stand Up America as word of the turnout poured in from across the country.
A relatively small, but representative sample of photographs from various demonstrations that took place follows.
Demonstrators gather on Boston Common, cheering and chanting slogans, during the nationwide "Hands Off!" protest against US President Donald Trump and his advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in Boston, Massachusetts on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
"Everyone involved in this crime against humanity, and everyone who covered it up, would face prosecution in a world that had any shred of dignity left."
A video presented to officials at the United Nations on Friday and first made public Saturday by the New York Times provides more evidence that the recent massacre of Palestinian medics in Gaza did not happen the way Israeli government claimed—the latest in a long line of deception when it comes to violence against civilians that have led to repeated accusations of war crimes.
The video, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), was found on the phone of a paramedic found in a mass grave with a bullet in his head after being killed, along with seven other medics, by Israeli forces on March 23. The eight medics, buried in the shallow grave with the bodies riddled with bullets, were: Mustafa Khafaja, Ezz El-Din Shaat, Saleh Muammar, Refaat Radwan, Muhammad Bahloul, Ashraf Abu Libda, Muhammad Al-Hila, and Raed Al-Sharif. The video reportedly belonged to Radwan. A ninth medic, identified as Asaad Al-Nasasra, who was at the scene of the massacre, which took place near the southern city of Rafah, is still missing.
The PRCS said it presented the video—which refutes the explanation of the killings offered by Israeli officials—to members of the UN Security Council on Friday.
"They were killed in their uniforms. Driving their clearly marked vehicles. Wearing their gloves. On their way to save lives," Jonathan Whittall, head of the UN's humanitarian affairs office in Palestine, said last week after the bodies were discovered. Some of the victims, according to Gaza officials, were found with handcuffs still on them and appeared to have been shot in the head, execution-style.
The Israeli military initially said its soldiers "did not randomly attack" any ambulances, but rather claimed they fired on "terrorists" who approached them in "suspicious vehicles." Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesperson, said the vehicles that the soldiers opened fire on were driving with their lights off and did not have clearance to be in the area. The video evidence directly contradicts the IDF's version of events.
As the Times reports:
The Times obtained the video from a senior diplomat at the United Nations who asked not to be identified to be able to share sensitive information.
The Times verified the location and timing of the video, which was taken in the southern city of Rafah early on March 23. Filmed from what appears to be the front interior of a moving vehicle, it shows a convoy of ambulances and a fire truck, clearly marked, with headlights and flashing lights turned on, driving south on a road to the north of Rafah in the early morning. The first rays of sun can be seen, and birds are chirping.
In an interview with Drop Site News published Friday, the only known paramedic to survive the attack, Munther Abed, explained that he and his colleagues "were directly and deliberately shot at" by the IDF. "The car is clearly marked with 'Palestinian Red Crescent Society 101.' The car's number was clear and the crews' uniform was clear, so why were we directly shot at? That is the question."
The video's release sparked fresh outrage and demands for accountability on Saturday.
"The IDF denied access to the site for days; they sent in diggers to cover up the massacre and intentionally lied about it," said podcast producer Hamza M. Syed in reaction to the new revelations. "The entire leadership of the Israeli army is implicated in this unconscionable war crime. And they must be prosecuted."
"Everyone involved in this crime against humanity, and everyone who covered it up, would face prosecution in a world that had any shred of dignity left," said journalist Ryan Grim of DropSite News.
"They're dismantling our country. They're looting our government. And they think we'll just watch."
In communities across the United States and also overseas, coordinated "Hands Off" protests are taking place far and wide Saturday in the largest public rebuke yet to President Donald Trump and top henchman Elon Musk's assault on the workings of the federal government and their program of economic sabotage that is sacrificing the needs of working families to authoritarianism and the greed of right-wing oligarchs.
According to the organizers' call to action:
They're dismantling our country. They’re looting our government. And they think we'll just watch.
On Saturday, April 5th, we rise up with one demand: Hands Off!
This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way. They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam.
They're handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich. If we don't fight now, there won’t be anything left to save.
More than 1,000 "Hands Off!" demonstrations—organized by a large coalition of unions, progressive advocacy groups, and pro-democracy watchdogs—first kicked off Saturday in European, followed by East Coast communities in the U.S., and were set to continue throughout the day at various times, depending on location. See here for a list of scheduled "Hands Off" events—or schedule one in your community.
"The United States has a president, not a king," said the progressive advocacy group People's Action, one of the group's involved in the actions, in an email to supporters on Saturday just as protest events kicked off in hundreds of cities and communities. "Donald Trump has, by every measure, been working to make himself a king. He has become unanswerable to the courts, Congress, and the American people."
Citing the Republican president's thirst for "power and greed," the group explained why organized pressure must be built and sustained against the administration, especially at the conclusion of a week in which the global economy was spun into disarray by Trump's tariff announcement, his attack on the rule of law continued, and the twice-elected president admitted he was "not joking" about the possibility of seeking a third term, which is barred by the constitution.
"He is destroying the economy with tariffs in order to pay for the tax cuts he wants to push through to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies," warned People's Action. "He has ordered the government to round up innocent people off of the streets and put them in detention centers without due process because they dared to speak out using their First Amendment rights. And he is not close to being done—by his own admission, he is planning to run for a third term, which the Constitution does not allow."
Live stream of Hands Off rally in Washington, D.C.:
Below are photo or video dispatches from demonstrations around the world on Saturday. Check back for updates...
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Belgium:
Massachusetts:
Maine:
Washington, D.C.:
New York:
Minnesota:
Michigan:
Ohio:
Colorado:
Pennsylvania:
North Carolina:
The protest organizers warn that what Trump and Musk are up to "is not just corruption" and "not just mismanagement," but something far more sinister.
"This is a hostile takeover," they said, but vowed to fight back. "This is the moment where we say NO. No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive."