I guess we shouldn't be surprised. I guess we all knew it was too much to hope that this bonkers administration would ultimately do the right thing, even as the EO to get boys out of girls' sports WAS the right thing. But this admin gives with one hand and taketh away with the other.
Per WSPWG's suggestion to alert our Congressional representatives, I have now written the following to my three (Nadler, Schumer, Gillibrand). Feel free to use any or all of the below text to get you started in writing to your own MoCs:
Category: I recommend chosing "other" unless there is a specific category for women's rights.
Subject: Please prevent the Trump administration from dismantling a Title IX provision that protects fair access to sports for girls
Dear
The Trump administration is seeking to void 10 CFR § 1042.450 Athletics, which requires schools to allow girls to try out for a boys’ team (excluding contact sports) if the school doesn’t have a girls’ team in that sport.
To remove the regulation, the administration inappropriately used the Direct Final Rules (DFR) procedure. The DFR number is FR Doc. 2025-08557. The comment period is so short that it has already closed.
I would appreciate hearing from you what you will do, and what you would advise us we can all do, to assure that the administration’s attempt to void this regulation does not succeed. If you need further information, I recommend contacting the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, which can be reached via email at WomensSportsPolicy@gmail.com.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.
We wrote a federal bill to reclaim women's sex based rights. I believe it's important to introduce and use consistent language so those in charge of policy start thinking the way we do. Hence, I always use phrases such as sex-segregated and sex-based.
I see where they're coming from with the rule change. They're not considering the female participants who have extraordinary athletic capabilities, especially gender nonconforming girls and women. But they don't want young girly 9th grade boys getting on the varsity girls teams. Nor do we. I have some language below that can prevent that.
My comment to the DOE included two suggestions:
1) Protect girls and women by excluding males from sports that have dangerous projectiles. Field hockey is one of the few sports that schools provide for girls but not boys. But technically, volleyball would be covered as well. This addition keeps aggressive males from beating on females, a favorite pastime of male transgender athletes.
2) Schools may offer teams for males but do not have to fund them if not enough males participate. Basically, if male transgenders want to play field hockey, they'll have to participate on a male team that can be cancelled if not enough transgenders are willing to field an entire team.
The changes I submitted are in [brackets]:
(b) Separate teams. Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, a recipient may operate or sponsor separate teams for members of each sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill or the activity involved is a contact sport. However, where a recipient operates or sponsors a team in a particular sport for members of one sex but operates or sponsors no such team for members of the other sex, and athletic opportunities for members of that sex have previously been limited, members of the excluded sex must be allowed to try out for the team offered unless the sport involved is a contact sport [or utilizes potentially dangerous projectiles]. [A recipient that operates or sponsors separate teams for members of each sex may require minimum number of participants within a sex-based category. Nothing herein prohibits participants from “leveling up” and participating on a team for the opposite sex as long as competence is established for the age and sex category the athlete belongs to. Lack of participation in either sex-segregated category is a valid reason for recipients to cancel activities for members of either sex.]
1) <<We wrote a federal bill to reclaim women's sex based rights.>> Which bill, and where does it stand?
2) We agree on some of the basics but we want no males on female teams, regardless of projectiles, because of male performance advantage across all sports, with rare exceptions such as equestrian. And we want virtually all school sports to be female-only, regardless of trans beliefs.
3) The males who are currently demanding a right to play on female teams are not basing that rationale on whether or not there is already a boys' team. They're basing it on gender identity - claiming to "be" women or "feel like" women or whatever. They could easily play on the boys' track, swimming, basketball, etc teams - and just choose not to, and are allowed access to girls' teams, thus depriving girls of their rights, in about half of the U.S. states.
Very helpful explainer of this issue. I have restacked. Also, a question: is there any action we can take at this point, as the comments have closed, to push back against this so as to prevent it taking effect?
To help us resist the Trump Administration's efforts to undermine Title IX... seems the best bet right now is to stay in alert your Congressional Representatives -- who might not even be aware of this proposed change. You're welcome to share this article, of course.
If they're Democrats, remind them of their long history of supporting Title IX. If they're Republicans, the article itself speaks to the hypocrisy of purporting to support female athletes then undermining them (us!) behind the scenes. Thank you!
Thank you for explaining this.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised. I guess we all knew it was too much to hope that this bonkers administration would ultimately do the right thing, even as the EO to get boys out of girls' sports WAS the right thing. But this admin gives with one hand and taketh away with the other.
Exactly.
Per WSPWG's suggestion to alert our Congressional representatives, I have now written the following to my three (Nadler, Schumer, Gillibrand). Feel free to use any or all of the below text to get you started in writing to your own MoCs:
Category: I recommend chosing "other" unless there is a specific category for women's rights.
Subject: Please prevent the Trump administration from dismantling a Title IX provision that protects fair access to sports for girls
Dear
The Trump administration is seeking to void 10 CFR § 1042.450 Athletics, which requires schools to allow girls to try out for a boys’ team (excluding contact sports) if the school doesn’t have a girls’ team in that sport.
To remove the regulation, the administration inappropriately used the Direct Final Rules (DFR) procedure. The DFR number is FR Doc. 2025-08557. The comment period is so short that it has already closed.
I would appreciate hearing from you what you will do, and what you would advise us we can all do, to assure that the administration’s attempt to void this regulation does not succeed. If you need further information, I recommend contacting the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, which can be reached via email at WomensSportsPolicy@gmail.com.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.
Wow, love it that you 1) did this; and 2) shared it! Thank you!
We wrote a federal bill to reclaim women's sex based rights. I believe it's important to introduce and use consistent language so those in charge of policy start thinking the way we do. Hence, I always use phrases such as sex-segregated and sex-based.
I see where they're coming from with the rule change. They're not considering the female participants who have extraordinary athletic capabilities, especially gender nonconforming girls and women. But they don't want young girly 9th grade boys getting on the varsity girls teams. Nor do we. I have some language below that can prevent that.
My comment to the DOE included two suggestions:
1) Protect girls and women by excluding males from sports that have dangerous projectiles. Field hockey is one of the few sports that schools provide for girls but not boys. But technically, volleyball would be covered as well. This addition keeps aggressive males from beating on females, a favorite pastime of male transgender athletes.
2) Schools may offer teams for males but do not have to fund them if not enough males participate. Basically, if male transgenders want to play field hockey, they'll have to participate on a male team that can be cancelled if not enough transgenders are willing to field an entire team.
The changes I submitted are in [brackets]:
(b) Separate teams. Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, a recipient may operate or sponsor separate teams for members of each sex where selection for such teams is based upon competitive skill or the activity involved is a contact sport. However, where a recipient operates or sponsors a team in a particular sport for members of one sex but operates or sponsors no such team for members of the other sex, and athletic opportunities for members of that sex have previously been limited, members of the excluded sex must be allowed to try out for the team offered unless the sport involved is a contact sport [or utilizes potentially dangerous projectiles]. [A recipient that operates or sponsors separate teams for members of each sex may require minimum number of participants within a sex-based category. Nothing herein prohibits participants from “leveling up” and participating on a team for the opposite sex as long as competence is established for the age and sex category the athlete belongs to. Lack of participation in either sex-segregated category is a valid reason for recipients to cancel activities for members of either sex.]
It's a little clunky but feel free to amend it.
Interesting. Thanks, Sally J!
1) <<We wrote a federal bill to reclaim women's sex based rights.>> Which bill, and where does it stand?
2) We agree on some of the basics but we want no males on female teams, regardless of projectiles, because of male performance advantage across all sports, with rare exceptions such as equestrian. And we want virtually all school sports to be female-only, regardless of trans beliefs.
3) The males who are currently demanding a right to play on female teams are not basing that rationale on whether or not there is already a boys' team. They're basing it on gender identity - claiming to "be" women or "feel like" women or whatever. They could easily play on the boys' track, swimming, basketball, etc teams - and just choose not to, and are allowed access to girls' teams, thus depriving girls of their rights, in about half of the U.S. states.
Very helpful explainer of this issue. I have restacked. Also, a question: is there any action we can take at this point, as the comments have closed, to push back against this so as to prevent it taking effect?
To help us resist the Trump Administration's efforts to undermine Title IX... seems the best bet right now is to stay in alert your Congressional Representatives -- who might not even be aware of this proposed change. You're welcome to share this article, of course.
If they're Democrats, remind them of their long history of supporting Title IX. If they're Republicans, the article itself speaks to the hypocrisy of purporting to support female athletes then undermining them (us!) behind the scenes. Thank you!
Thanks for the suggestion, and will do!
Yes, is there anything we can do?
Hi Ruth, please see above. Thank you!