Weekly Column: Girls In Sports

The original intent of Title IX was to protect women’s educational and athletic opportunities. In a decision earlier this year on Idaho’s first-in-the-nation law to ensure these opportunities do not go to biological males, the Supreme Court of the United States correctly ruled Title IX allows states to apply biology-based understanding of maintaining separate sports categories. I continue to do all I can to counter attempts to undermine Title IX and the integrity of women’s sports. This includes co-sponsoring a Senate resolution to recognize the importance of Title IX in protecting biological women in sports. In the resolution, the Senate would recognize it is imperative that women’s and girls’ opportunities to compete athletically are protected and call on sports-governing bodies in the United States and abroad to protect biological women and girls in sports, while designating American Girls in Sports Day to celebrate the impact of women on the sports culture and history of the United States. This resolution complements ongoing efforts to protect girls’ access to athletics. Previously, I joined my fellow members of the Idaho Congressional Delegation in leading an amicus brief in support of Idaho’s Title IX law protecting women's sports, which, as mentioned earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in a June 2026 ruling. Additionally, I am an original co-sponsor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and the Title IX Clarification Act , both of which preserve the existing framework of Title IX while making clear its protections are based on the biological definition of sex. For more than 50 years, Title IX has protected equal educational opportunities by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. In recent years, however, ideologically driven efforts have sought to redefine the law beyond Congress’s original intent, creating uncertainty for schools and undermining protections for women and girls. At the beginning of his second term, President Trump revoked a Biden-era executive order that directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to interpret Title IX anti-discrimination language “on the basis of sex” to cover “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.” Like the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, President Trump’s action revokes federal funding from any academic institution that allows biological males to compete in female-designated sports. This order builds on another presidential policy stating that only two genders—male and female—are recognized by the federal government, with an individual’s biology at birth serving as the primary determinant. The recent resolution includes a recognition that athletic participation has an important, positive impacts on young girls, improving their physical health, self-confidence and discipline and female athletes have served as inspirations for generations of women and girls. Preserving the integrity of girls’ and women’s sports helps ensure athletics remain a strong outlet for current women competitors and young aspiring athletes. Moving forward, I will continue to counter efforts to undermine Title IX and the integrity of women’s sports. # # #