HYDE-SMITH SAYS TITLE IX RIGHTS FOR GIRLS THREATENED BY BIDEN ‘WOKE’ AGENDA

On 50th Anniversary of Title IX, Miss. Senator Says Transgender Focus Threatens Historic Advances by Women, Girls in Sports

062322 Title IX
VIDEO:  Senator Hyde-Smith Defends Title IX at News Conference.
PHOTO:  Senator Hyde-Smith with Senators Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), and Roger Marshall, M.D. (Kan.).
NEWS CONFERENCE via Twitter or Facebook.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today offered a strong defense of the Title IX decision that opened up sports opportunities for girls and women and warned that the “woke agenda” championed by the Biden administration threatens those advances.

Hyde-Smith joined U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and others at a news conference marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX and to condemn the Biden administration’s sweeping new proposed rule issued Thursday that emphasizes sexual orientation and gender identity in a manner that would allow biological males to participate in women’s sports.

“Title IX is meant to ensure equity between men and women in athletics and education.  And the Biden Administration is carelessly threatening that equity.  It just angers me.  And the Biden Administration is working to redefine ‘sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ in the name of anti-discrimination.  But this is discrimination against women, plain and simple,” Hyde-Smith said.

“Simply put, the Biden Administration is willing to compromise the prosperity of women just to further its own ‘woke’ agenda, an agenda that will do lasting damage to the progress Title IX has given us for half a century,” she said.  “We will continue to stand here not only to defend Title IX, but to defend all female athletes throughout this country so they can have their fair opportunity.”

Title IX, enacted as part of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act on June 23, 1972, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program receiving federal dollars.

“Title IX has transformed women’s sports, expanding opportunity for women and girls through scholarships and career opportunities,” Hyde-Smith said.  “Pretending biological females and transgender women are the same for all purposes will move girls and women backward rather than forward.  This a no brainer.  A ninth grader can figure this out.”

Senate Democrats on Thursday objected to Senate consideration of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (S.251).  Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of S.251, which addresses compliance with Title IX provisions dealing with athletics to ensure gender is “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

Hyde-Smith has also been a frequent critic of HR.5, the House-passed bill to significantly alter how the United States addresses gender identity, which would have a significant impact on Title IX protections.  The Senator expressed her strong opposition to the measure in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in March 2021.

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