Under a new Department of Education proposed rule, no school or college that receives federal funding would be allowed to impose a policy that categorically bans transgender students from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Such policies would be considered a violation of Title IX. The U.S. Department of Education has compiled a fact sheet summarizing the changes it intends to make to Title IX, including to “protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”
These proposed changes to Title IX have caused concern among critics who disagree with such an interpretation of the law. Specifically, the proposed rule is in direct contradiction with Republican-led states that have passed legislation to bar transgender athletes from school sports based upon their gender identities. If passed, the proposed rule would become enshrined as a provision of Title IX, the landmark gender equity legislation enacted in 1972.
This proposed rule is a complete overreach by the Department of Education. Policies requiring schools to allow trans-identifying biological males to compete on women’s sports teams are contradictory to Title IX’s intention to provide equal opportunities for women in education and sports.
The Defense of Freedom Institute states: “Men and women and boys and girls have different physical characteristics. Because of those differences, men have advantages in certain competitive sporting events.” The Institute warns that the Title IX rule “tramples parental rights in K-12 education by requiring schools to accept a child’s stated gender identity without parental consent.” The Biden administration’s attempts to force its radical woke agenda into Title IX “would have far-reaching consequences for our nation,” said Defense of Freedom Institute President and Co-Founder Robert S. Eidel.
The majority of Americans overwhelmingly reject biological males being permitted to compete in sports against biological women, according to a new poll. A Washington Post-University of Maryland survey released recently asked a random national sample of adults whether they think biological men and boys should be allowed to compete in sports with women and girls at each of the following levels:
The majority – 58% – said it should not be allowed in college or professional sports, compared to 28% who said it should. Fifty-five percent of respondents said it shouldn’t be allowed in high school sports, compared to 30%. Forty-nine percent said it shouldn’t be allowed in youth sports, compared to 33%. A whopping 68% of respondents said that if biological boys are allowed to compete against biological girls in youth sports, the biological boys would have a competitive advantage over the girls.
The poll comes at a time of intense national debate about women’s sports and fairness, instigated by the rise of former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male, and his record-breaking wins competing on the women’s swim team. Thomas, who started out competing on the school’s men’s team, denies any competitive advantage over his biological female teammates.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who competed against Lia Thomas, said that he added insult to injury when he “walked around the locker room, naked, as a biological man.” To her, the idea that anyone would openly fight to eliminate girls from their own sports is mind-boggling. “Equal opportunity, privacy, and safety in our sports shouldn’t be controversial,” Gaines said. “The women who once advocated for Title IX should be outraged, as this goes against everything they fought for. Female athletes of all ages, levels, and sports deserve better.”
South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem has vowed to fight back against the Biden administration’s proposed changes to Title IX. Last year, Noem signed into law a bill to ban transgender female athletes from participating in girls’ or womens’ school sports. Noem — who has received an outpouring of support from Republicans for her stance on the issue — positioned her signing of the bill as a defense of Title IX, federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in school and education programs on the basis of sex. “South Dakota will not allow this to stand. We will lead. We will defend our laws. Only girls will play girls’ sports,” Noem wrote. “President Biden, we’ll see you in Court,” she added.
Last week, Rep. Greg Steube’s (R-Fla.) House bill to halt this craziness passed by a vote of 219-203. Family Research Council’s Meg Kilgannon is “grateful that House leadership brought this bill to the floor and passed it. It’s an encouraging sign to women and girls everywhere that we have a right to play sports, to be safe in our locker rooms, and to the protection of men who love and honor our abilities and our differences.” In regards to every one of the 203 House democrats who voted against the bill, Kilgannon stated, “It’s disappointing to see that the entire Democratic party is so captured by gender ideology that they no longer value protecting women’s opportunities in sports.”
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Ill.) reiterated that there are two “fundamental things” that the president’s party won’t do. “Number one, protect life.” Number two, “they’re not protecting our girls.”
The liberals who believe these actions will result in feminist support are in for a surprise. Extreme liberal groups such as the Women’s Liberation Front and Women’s Declaration International USA are deeply disturbed that the president’s party is leading the stampede to throw girls overboard. “I am a registered Democrat and always have been,” Kara Dansky, president of WDI USA told Fox News, “and I think it’s the height of hypocrisy for Democratic leadership — including the president — to champion the rights of women and girls to abortion… while simultaneously denying the rights of women and girls to single-sex spaces.”
After being told that President Biden will veto the bill, Riley Gaines replied, “The president has declared that science, truth, and common sense no longer matter. President Biden is catering to a radical minority at the expense of women, who are 51% of the population.”
As evidenced by the results of this House vote, and the number of horrific bills passed by the Democratic party in Washington during this recent legislative session, liberals have demonstrated their true colors. They do not support parental rights, they do not support babies in the womb, they do not support classic education, they do not support real science, they do not support public safety, they do not support law enforcement, they do not support our second amendment rights and they do not support girls or women competing in sports.
Christian brothers and sisters, let’s boldly push back against the lawlessness they are attempting to legislate and show this nation our true colors.
