Apple Speaks Out Against Trump Order to Rescind Protections for Transgender Students

Apple tonight spoke out on U.S. President Donald Trump's move to rescind Obama administration protections for transgender students, providing a statement to Axios. The protections had allowed transgender students to use bathrooms that corresponded to their gender identity.

apple store logo 1
The Cupertino company reiterated its commitment to equality, saying that everyone deserves a chance to be free from stigma and discrimination.

"Apple believes everyone deserves a chance to thrive in an environment free from stigma and discrimination. We support efforts toward greater acceptance, not less, and we strongly believe that transgender students should be treated as equals. We disagree with any effort to limit or rescind their rights and protections."

This isn't the first time Apple has spoken out against the actions of the Trump administration. In late January, CEO Tim Cook said that the immigration executive order was not a policy that Apple supported. Apple made its HR, legal and security teams available to employees who were affected and eventually joined nearly 100 firms filing a legal brief against the order.

Under Cook, Apple has had a history of speaking out in favor of equality. In March 2015, Cook spoke out against Indiana's controversial "Religious Freedom" law, which allowed business owners to turn away LGBTQ customers by citing "religious freedom." Cook also called on Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to veto the bill.

Additionally, in 2013 both Cook and Apple came out in support of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act and released a statement of support after the Supreme Court gay marriage ruling.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
space black mbp

Here's Every New Apple Product That Leaked Yesterday

Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests. The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple's iPhone Driver's License Feature Now Available in 11 U.S. States

Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
fcc vision pro leak

FCC Accidentally Leaks Apple's Next Vision Pro

Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset. One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro. The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
macbook pro prime day 2025

FCC Leaks Upcoming MacBook Pro and More

Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch. The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Apple's 2025 Product Roadmap: What's Still Coming

Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year. Apple TV The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip Apple code suggests...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
iOS 26 Everything New Feature

26 Hidden iOS 26 Tricks to Change How You Use Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 9:16 am PDT by
Apple released iOS 26 in mid-September, bringing a range of new features and changes to iPhones across the globe. But not all of the included improvements have been showcased with Apple's typical fanfare, and many are likely to have been overlooked. Below, we've highlighted 26 lesser known additions and enhancements that could potentially change how you use your iPhone on a daily basis. Got...

Top Rated Comments

MadeTheSwitch Avatar
112 months ago
Here we go again. Stick to making consumer products. :eek::(:rolleyes::eek:
Nope. The education of students...all students, is everyone's responsibility to speak up about. They are our future.

If Trump can comment on Apple products (which he did) then I see no reason why Apple cannot do the reverse.
Score: 150 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lucky736 Avatar
112 months ago
Here we go again. Stick to making consumer products. :eek::(:rolleyes::eek:
Score: 131 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jerry16 Avatar
112 months ago
Build great products. Shut up. Stay out of it. This goes for all causes, liberal or conservative. As a corporation, there is no reason to alienate potential buyers on either side of the aisle.
Score: 106 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrumApple Avatar
112 months ago
Funny how Apple is so quick to speak on political issues, but silent on even acknowledging their products MANY shortcomings - especially as of late - exactly what kind of company are they trying to be?
Score: 102 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RMo Avatar
112 months ago
Here we go again. Stick to making consumer products. :eek::(:rolleyes::eek:
Apple is capable of both making consumer products* and issuing three-sentence anti-discrimination statements to a news outlet. :)

*Alright, so some of the Macs beg to differ, but that's another story...

Build great products. Shut up. This goes for all causes, liberal or conservative.
Apple obviously perceives that is in their best interest to make their position known. Silence could be interpreted as tacit agreement. I think this is good for them for both recruiting a diverse workforce (what if a talented engineer who happened to be trans felt uncomfortable applying?) as well as ensuring socially-conscious buyers know what kind of organization their money is supporting.

I think most people's disagreement here can be boiled down to the fact that trans people freak them out and that they therefore don't want companies speaking up about it. (I had a couple friends from college who ended up being trans, and I think they were a great help for me in understanding these issues. I wish everyone could experience that, but everyone can at least read about it or have an open mind.) Much like gay rights, this shouldn't even be a political issue. Maybe Apple will stop speaking up about it when people's rights are no longer politicized, but I suspect you'll still be disappointed as, being a business, they probably have opinions on economic issues too, which probably going to also be considered political issues for the rest of time. :)
Score: 78 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Patriot24 Avatar
112 months ago
Funny how Apple is so quick to speak on political issues, but silent on even acknowledging their products MANY shortcomings - especially as of late - exactly what kind of company are they trying to be?
All of the things going on in our country and your main concern is the refresh cycle of the Mac Pro?

In this moment they're being exactly the company I want them to be.
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)