LGBTQ activists react to Justice Department defense of Title IX religious exemption

The Justice Department said it would "vigorously" defend the religious exemption to Title IX, which allows for discrimination against LGBTQ student in religious schools.

LGBTQ advocates are criticizing the Justice Department for a court filing in which the DOJ wrote it would "vigorously" defend a religious exemption that allows federally funded religious colleges and universities to discriminate against minorities. The DOJ also said, in relation to the Hunter v. the U.S. Department of Education case, that the Department of Education and Christian schools "share the same 'ultimate objective' ... to uphold the Religious Exemption as it is currently applied." The wording has since been amended in the court filings. The Department of Justice is responsible for defending federal statutes in court, and the filing now reads that it will "adequately" defend the case. LGBTQ activists have said that the language initially used implied that the DOJ condoned and supported discrimination against LGBTQ students, which goes against President Joe Biden's past statements on protections for this community.