Gordon Joins 25 Governors Against Title IX Expansion For Trans Athletes
Wyoming's Governor Mark Gordon, along with 25 other Republican governors have asked the Biden administration to throw away Title IX protections for transgender athletes.
The letter says that the U.S. Department of Education's proposed regulation should be withdrawn pending litigation that could be addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
"The Department’s proposed regulation would attempt to coerce compliance with an uncertain, fluid, and completely subjective standard that is based on a highly politicized gender ideology," the letter reads.
The Biden administration is working through the public comment period, which ends Monday, 05/15/23.
Title IX bans state and local governments from prohibiting someone claiming to be transgendered from participating on sports teams aligned with what they say their gender is.
Federal funds can be withheld from schools in states that are found to be in violation.
A few states are looking for ways to continue school programs without federal funding.
The law was originally passed in 1972 and prohibits discrimination based on sex for school districts, universities, museums, and other educational institutions that receive federal funds.
But now "gender identity" has been added by the Biden Administration.
"Compelling a subjective, athlete-by-athlete analysis controlled by a student’s self-identified 'gender identity' enforced under threat of Department retribution affords no clarity," the letter reads. "It does the opposite. This 'fluid' subjective standard ensures chaos and confusion in schools and will no doubt result in protracted and disruptive litigation."
Currently, 21 states prohibit transgender students from participating in sports teams that do not align with their biological sex at birth or conception.
Governors that signed the letter include Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.