U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) sent a letter on Tuesday to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona warning about the irreversible damage that would be inflicted upon female athletes if the department follows through on its December 2021 announcement to propose a new Title IX regulation that would, among other things, require schools to allow biological males to compete in female sports.
Tuberville accused the Biden administration of weakening Title IX protections for female athletes while the nation celebrates the 50-year anniversary of the revolutionary Title IX law.
“It is my understanding that the Department of Education is currently considering a proposed regulation that would modify Title IX implementation to adhere to the progressive priorities of the Biden administration,” Tuberville said. “Any such weakening of current Title IX protections would amount to a reversal of 50 years of progress for women and girls in sports and an offense to every woman who has ever benefited from the enactment of the law. Title IX has fostered generations of female athletes who would otherwise never have been afforded the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
“Press reports indicate that your proposed regulation will allow biological males to compete in divisions that have been previously reserved only for females. This proposition has already received criticism from across the country. Twenty-one attorneys general have voiced opposition to this proposed regulation, as it forces radical changes concerning sexual orientation and gender identity policies on nearly every employer and school across the nation. So far, thirteen states have enacted bills that prohibit transgender athletes from competing in female athletics to guarantee a level playing field. I plan to lead efforts against this misguided policy to ensure no federal action will negatively impact female athletics and erode these long-standing protections for women and girls.”
Hundreds of thousands of high school girls are competing in track, in basketball, in swimming, in volleyball, and other sports hoping to win college scholarships. Advocates for women’s sports fear that by allowing males to compete as females, those scholarships will go to male athletes claiming to be transgender.
“The entire country is watching while this Administration destroys opportunities for generations of women and girls at the behest of liberal extremism,” Tuberville said. “This proposed policy reversal will affect how women and girls approach athletics from this point forward.”
This letter is the latest push in a series of targeted actions by Tuberville. These actions include discussions with female athletes who benefitted from Title IX protections, the introduction of an amendment to prohibit federal funding to schools that allow biological males to compete in women’s sports, and calls for the Senate to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, legislation Senator Tuberville cosponsored which would, among other things, ensure the definition of “sex” in Title IX is based “solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
Tuberville is in his first term representing Alabama in the U.S. Senate. He serves as a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
