Minnesota has long been known as a trailblazer in women’s sports. By 1972, our state already had girls’ teams in both basketball and swimming, but the passage of Title IX ushered in a new era for women in sports across the country. Today marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX and a landmark victory for equality. But, even as we celebrate, we realize these hard-fought rights are being attacked by men who seek to create a false reality in which they must be allowed to compete on women’s teams.
For much of the history of the United States, higher education was dominated by men, especially in sports. Before Title IX was introduced in 1972, women seeking an education were often relegated to all-women institutions. Typically, if a woman were to come from a lower socio-economic background, their chances of receiving an education were low. Seeing a need for equality, Hawaii Representative Patsy T. Mink authored a bill that would soon become known as Title IX, which sought to allow women and girls equal access to federal funding in education. The bill was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23rd, 1972. This legislation allowed for the creation of all-female sports teams that aimed to give girls the chance that they had dreamed of.
For many modern Americans, the fact that women were once discriminated against in education is unfathomable, likely because female sports have become commonplace in our society. The NCAA has seen an increase of over 160,000 female athletes since the implementation of Title IX, and over 50% of college degree holders are now women. Fortunately, in 1972, the rights guaranteed to everyone under the constitution had finally been realized, and women were granted equality under the law.
Sadly, in the 50 years since the institution of the Title IX legislation, progressive activists have attempted to change its meaning. They are trying to twist the wording so that men who suffer from the delusion that they are female can participate in woman’s sports. It’s sadly ironic to think that our nation has worked for over 50 years to level the playing-field only to have men take away women’s sports opportunities as though they never existed. Case and point – Lia Thomas, a man who caught the world’s attention by swimming in a woman’s league. While the world lauded his “bravery,” his competitors saw through the ruse. Jeri Shanteau, eleven-time NCAA swimming champion and biological woman, spoke to Fox News shortly after losing to a man in a woman’s sport. She noted that women have been working hard to have equal access to sports, and that it’s not fair to have it ripped away.
Fortunately, some sanity has returned in the fight for women’s sports. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) announced that it would not allow transgender athletes who “transition” after age 12 to participate in sports of the opposite gender. This decision is a hopeful sign to those who want to see women thrive in sports, but of course it doesn’t go far enough. It doesn’t address differences in athletic performance that may affect younger athletes as well. While co-ed teams should continue to be open to anyone, even at younger ages schools and athletic leagues should enforce single-gender rules where they now exist for safety and fairness.
50 years ago today, the United States clarified that the Constitution guaranteed equal access to education regardless of sex. Even with the attacks made on those rights in recent years, we should never forget this milestone, and we shouldn’t let it be taken away. Instead, we should fight harder so that every woman and girl knows that on the athletic field she will not face opponents who have an unfair, anticompetitive advantage.
