OPINION:
Some of my fondest memories in 25 years of coaching come from my involvement in women’s athletics. And while I’ve had plenty of wins and titles, the most gratifying memories come from helping young female athletes grow and thrive through struggle and success.
Unfortunately, those opportunities are being stripped away as the government forces K-12 schools, colleges and universities to allow biological males to compete on female teams. Too many coaches and administrators remain silent, while those who push back are penalized.
Under the Biden administration’s proposed Title IX rules, future experiences for female athletes will be riddled with fear, disappointment, discouragement, lost opportunities, and injuries because unelected bureaucrats have abused their power and broadened the definition of “sex” to include “gender identity.”
In their current form, the revised rules do not directly address athletics, but early legal analysis indicates that it is inferred. Regardless, schools have applied or most likely will apply the updated guidance to include sports, some out of fear of losing federal funding.
Over 1,000 school districts across the country feature policies that give males access to female facilities, often housing students based on their “gender identity.” Many of these policies also allow males to compete on girls’ and women’s teams.
For many female athletes, competing against males is already a painful and frustrating reality.
In February, a Massachusetts charter school forfeited the second half of a girls’ basketball game due to the injury of three of its players — one directly involving the opponent’s physically dominant male. The coach and the administration decided they did not want to risk losing more athletes to injury with playoffs coming up.
More recently, five West Virginia middle school female athletes refused to compete in track and field events against a boy. This came days after a federal court blocked a West Virginia law that banned males from female sports. The same male athlete from the lawsuit won the event by throwing the shot put 3 feet farther than any of the female competitors.
While these girls’ actions are courageous and worthy of praise, they should not have to make that trade-off. The girls are compelled to decide between participating in the lie and the unfairness and danger that come with it or losing out on playing sports altogether, which defeats the purpose of Title IX.
A handful of brave coaches and administrations are refusing to accept the current situation. When coaches and schools oppose these policies, however, it comes with a cost.
For example, an Oregon high school coach resigned in January in protest over males competing against his female athletes. His decision to give up coaching female sports was difficult, but he could not support policies that put “women at risk.”
In February, a Vermont high school coach was banned after he refused to allow his girls’ basketball team to compete against a team with a biologically male player. The Vermont Principals’ Association went further, banning the whole school from participating in athletic events.
It is becoming clear that the Biden administration and its allies are willing to penalize young females to appease a radical fringe group. No matter what, our girls lose when males are allowed to invade female-only spaces.
How many more pictures of girls staring up at a male atop a podium do we need to see, or videos of females being injured or quitting competition altogether before society decides it has had enough? How many females will just stop participating out of frustration?
More coaches and administrators need to take a public stand against the government-supported intrusion of males into female athletics and facilities. No more “I agree with you” conversations behind closed doors. When coaches take the public stance that males have no place in female spaces, more will join them.
If young women such as Riley Gaines, Macy Petty, Payton McNabb, and the middle school girls in West Virginia display the courage to stand up for themselves and against males in female sports, surely more adults can. Courage is contagious.
• Rhyen Staley is a researcher for Parents Defending Education.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.