Staff Reports
President Biden’s administration has faced criticism for its changes to Title IX, with advocates for female sports making their voices heard through the Our Sports, Our Bodies coalition’s national bus tour. The coalition specifically took aim at the administration’s rulemaking, which added “gender identity” to Title IX, a law that aims to prevent sex discrimination in education.
The bus tour, which started in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where President Biden hails from, highlights the coalition’s belief that the new Title IX rule takes opportunities away from women and grants them to men, thus violating the law rather than enforcing it. At least 26 states and one school district have taken legal action against the Biden administration over the Title IX rewrite, which extends protections to biological males who identify as female.
This is who we are fighting for‼️
Young women & girls deserve fairness, safety, & equal opportunity. ? We won’t stop fighting until we #TakeBackTitleIX & protect the next generation of girls in education!https://t.co/EBbDTvbaXJ pic.twitter.com/l80ZyCabqd
— Independent Women's Forum (@IWF) May 30, 2024
Critics argue that the new regulations strip away sex-based protections in education, undermine women’s rights, and require schools to allow males to self-identify into women’s spaces, opportunities, and athletics. The coalition is adamant that the Biden administration’s actions go against the spirit of Title IX, and they plan to hold a press conference and rally near the White House on the 52nd anniversary of Title IX to emphasize the impact of the administration’s rewrite.
The Department of Education maintains that the new regulations don’t apply to scholastic sports. However, critics are not convinced and fear that schools may choose to implement the rules in athletic programs. The rewritten Title IX is set to take effect on August 1, and the department is also working on a separate rulemaking regarding transgender eligibility in sports.
Advocates for transgender athletes argue that “trans women are women” and should have access to girls’ and women’s facilities, accommodations, and opportunities. On the other hand, the Our Sports, Our Bodies coalition, which includes women’s groups such as the Independent Women’s Forum and Concerned Women for America, is focused on highlighting the potential drawbacks they see in the administration’s changes to Title IX.
The bus tour features speakers such as former collegiate swimmers, a former women’s lacrosse coach, and lawmakers who have expressed concerns about the impact of the Title IX rewrite. Additionally, former high school athletes who have had personal experiences related to transgender athletes in sports are also part of the tour.
In summary, the Our Sports, Our Bodies coalition’s national bus tour is a strong statement against the Biden administration’s reworking of Title IX, drawing attention to the concerns of advocates for female sports. The implications of these changes remain a point of contention, with legal challenges and ongoing debates surrounding the application of the new regulations.
