Senators introduce bill clarifying Title IX, protecting women’s sports

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb regarding Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s Tuesday introduction of a bill that protects women’s sports by clarifying that in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth:

“Women and girls deserve the opportunity to be champions. We commend Sen. Loeffler for introducing commonsense legislation that clarifies this important but simple truth. Title IX was designed to protect equal athletic opportunities, but when policymakers pretend biological differences are irrelevant, they distort the law and women and girls bear the consequences. In Connecticut, for example, two males dominated girls’ track after they began competing as females, capturing 15 women’s championships and shattering long-standing female track records. Comparably gifted and trained males will always have physical advantages over females—that’s the entire premise behind women’s sports. We’re grateful Sen. Loeffler and her fellow senators are simply affirming that biology, not identity, is what matters in athletics.”

The following quote may be attributed to Connecticut high school track athlete Alanna Smith, who, together with other female athletes and their mothers, has filed suit through ADF attorneys to challenge Connecticut’s policy of allowing males to compete in girls’ sports:

“Sports is something that should be fair. But it’s demoralizing to know—even before I get to the track—that no matter how hard I work, I won’t be competing on a fair field. As a freshman, I was pushed from runner up to third place by a male athlete. My fellow female athletes and I have repeatedly missed out on medals and state titles. Everyone knows it isn’t fair and that is why I’m grateful that senators in Washington, DC are working to restore fairness to the sport I love.”

The following quote may be attributed to Idaho collegiate track athlete Mary Kate Marshall, who, together with another female athlete, has joined a lawsuit through ADF attorneys to defend Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act:

“I love to run because it gives me confidence and helps me be a better version of myself, but I also run because I’m competitive. When I lose to another woman, I assume that she must train harder than I do and it drives me to work harder. But if I lose to a man, it feels completely different—it’s absolutely deflating. We need separate sports categories based on biological sex in order to fairly compete; that’s why I’m grateful that Senator Loeffler and other senators are standing up to protect the integrity of women’s sports.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

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