Apple on Wednesday spoke out against President Donald Trump’s order to rescind the Obama administration’s protections for transgender students which allowed them to use bathrooms that corresponded to their gender identity.
In a statement to Axios, an Apple spokesperson stressed the company’s belief that everyone should be able to thrive in an environment that is free of 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.”
Earlier on Wednesday, President Trump rescinded protections for transgendered students that allowed them to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. The move was made over the objections of Trump’s own Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Apple has long had a history of speaking out for equal rights. In January, the company’s CEO Tim Cook spoke out against the administration’s travel ban, saying it was not a policy Apple supported. Apple also made its legal, HR, and security teams available to employees who were affected by the ban, and joined nearly 100 firms in filing an amicus brief against the order.
Cook also spoke out against Indiana’s 2015 “Religious Freedom” law, which allowed business owners to turn away LGBTQ customers under the cover of “religious freedom.” Cook also called on Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to veto a similar bill.
