President Biden handed his political foes an easy lay-up by calling on Americans to “support women’s sports” after overhauling Title IX to include biological males who identify as female.
The president gave a shout-out to female athletes during a White House ceremony honoring the Las Vegas Aces, the 2023 WNBA champions, saying it has been a “banner year for women’s basketball.”
“It matters to girls and women, finally seeing themselves represented, and it matters to all of America,” Mr. Biden said at the Thursday event. “That’s why, as a nation, we need to support women’s sports by showing up in person, watching on TV with more sponsorships and programming, and helping grow the business of women’s sports.”
The House Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans were among those contesting his shot.
They cited the Education Department’s final rule released April 19 that adds “gender identity” to Title IX, the landmark 1972 civil-rights law barring sex discrimination in education.
“Three weeks ago, the Biden admin finalized a radical rewrite of #TitleIX that would ERASE women’s sports by allowing biological males to compete in female sports,” the committee said on X. “The guy doing the most to harm women’s sports should sit this one out.”
All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, host of OutKick’s “Gaines on Girls,” said the “easiest way to support women’s sports is to keep men out of them.”
“Biden and his admin are virtue-signaling sellouts pandering to get votes and it’s obvious to anyone with any amount of brain activity,” Ms. Gaines said on X.
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports accused Mr. Biden of “audacity after you just mandated girls [that] surrender their sports opportunities to boys.”
You’re currently trying to undo protections for female athletes.
If you cared about supporting women’s sports, you’d abandon your disastrous Title IX rewrite. https://t.co/fFjyHx3zJf
— Rep. Tim Walberg (@RepWalberg) May 10, 2024
The Education Department has insisted that the Title IX rule does not include transgender eligibility in sports, an issue expected to be addressed in a separate rulemaking slated for release after the November elections.
Advocates of single-sex sports have disputed the department’s claim, saying the Title IX rewrite cannot help but affect women’s athletics.
At least 22 Republican-led states have sued to block the final rule, which is slated to take effect Aug. 1.
The Aces defeated the New York Liberty in October to win their second consecutive WNBA title, prompting a reference by Mr. Biden to his November reelection bid.
“I kind of like that back-to-back stuff,” he quipped.