GOP governors want Biden to protect women’s sports and abandon Title IX overhaul.

H2: Republican Governors Push Back Against Biden Administration’s Proposed Rule on Transgender Athletes

H3: Half of Nation’s Governors Oppose Proposed Rule

In a bold move, 25 Republican governors, led by Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, have submitted a joint comment opposing the Biden administration’s proposed rule aimed at preventing schools from barring biological males from participating in female athletics programs. The proposed regulation, announced by the Department of Education in April, would expand Title IX protections against sex discrimination to include discrimination based on gender identity.

H3: Proposed Rule Under Fire

The Republican governors are “gravely concerned” that the new regulation could not only prevent states from enforcing their own laws on the matter but also undermine the purpose of Title IX. They argue that the proposed rule would allow biological males to steal recognition from truly remarkable female athletes and discard their lifelong athletic achievements based on a deliberate misreading of a law whose very purpose was to protect, preserve, and encourage women’s athletics.

H3: New Rule Explained

The proposed regulation would prohibit schools that receive federal funding from adopting “one-size-fits-all” policies that require all athletes to participate on sports teams consistent with their biological sex. Instead, individual sports teams would determine their own eligibility criteria based on “educational” objectives such as ensuring fairness in competition or preventing sports-related injuries.

H3: Education Secretary’s Statement

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in an April 6 statement that every student should be able to have the full experience of attending school in America, including participating in athletics, free from discrimination. He noted the mental, physical, and emotional health benefits of participation in sports and said the new rule was meant to “support Title IX’s protection for equal athletics opportunity.”

H3: Takeaway

The proposed rule has sparked controversy and opposition from Republican governors who argue that it could undermine the purpose of Title IX and allow biological males to compete in female athletics programs. The debate over transgender athletes in sports is likely to continue as more states pass their own laws on the matter.