WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Our Bodies, Our Sports, the nation’s first and only coalition of women’s advocacy organizations fighting for fairness in women’s sports, delivered two open letters – one letter to the Biden administration and one letter to congressional leadership – signed by its 12 member organizations from across the political spectrum, including prominent and decorated female athletes. The letters demand the war on women be stopped, the illegal Title IX rewrite be reversed, and women’s sports be protected for women only. “American women and girls deserve no less,” the letter states.
Members of Congress have the opportunity to reverse the Biden administration’s revisions to Title IX and restore Title IX protections on the basis of sex through a bicameral Congressional Review Act resolution (S.J. Res. 96 & H.J. Res. 165) introduced by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Rep. Mary Miller. Speaker Johnson announced in a recent panel discussion on protecting Title IX and saving women’s sports that the U.S. House is expected to vote on this legislation this week.
The open letter comes on the heels of the landmark Our Bodies, Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Summer 2024 Bus Tour, which traveled throughout 30 states in 30 days in June, holding rallies to build upon widespread bipartisan support to protect women’s sports ahead of the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite taking effect on August 1.
The letters read in part:
“Women’s sports are important and must be fair. Women’s safety, privacy, and opportunity cannot be sacrificed. The dreams and aspirations of girls cannot be given away.
That’s why we have joined together to stand up and speak out against the Biden administration’s illegal rewrite of Title IX. The new regulations are discriminatory, unfair, and risky.
The rule flips Title IX on its head. It strips protections for women and girls — robbing women of equal opportunity, privacy, and fairness. It cheats female athletes out of their trophies, roster spots, playing time, and resources and gives them to men.
This doesn’t enforce Title IX, it violates it.”
Under the administration’s new changes to the landmark sex-equality law, sex-based protections in education will no longer exist, and women will be written out of the law entirely. The administration’s rewrite replaces “sex” with “gender identity” – turning back the clock on women’s rights, and requiring schools to allow anyone who self-identifies as a woman into women’s spaces, opportunities, and sports.
Our Bodies, Our Sports coalition members include Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), Champion Women, Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, International Consortium on Female Sports (ICFS), Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), the US chapter of Women’s Declaration International (WDI USA), Concerned Women for America (CWA), Young Women for America, Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC), and Independent Women’s Network (IWN).
The letter to Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, ahead of House CRA vote, can be viewed HERE.
The letter to President Biden and Secretary Cardona can be viewed HERE.
On the final stops of the Our Bodies, Our Sports “Take Back Title IX” Summer 2024 Bus Tour, supporters had the opportunity to sign the two open letters. The letters were on display on 4-ft tall boards for attendees to sign to showcase the widespread support to protect women’s sports and stop the illegal rewrite of Title IX.
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