Former NCAA swimmer and Title IX champion Riley Gaines is voicing alarm over the current legal landscape of women’s sports rights. In an op-ed reflecting on the 53-year legacy of Title IX, she recounts the historical struggles women faced in sports and credits the law with enabling a generation of successful female athletes. However, she warns that redefining Title IX to include self-identified gender has resulted in threats to the law’s original intent, as seen in recent legal actions taken by the Trump administration.
Gaines recalls the pivotal moments in women’s sports history, such as Bobbi Gibb’s 1966 Boston Marathon run and Kathrine Switzer’s 1967 race, which laid the groundwork for the creation of a separate women’s division in 1972. Title IX, enacted that year, has since enabled millions of women to compete, earn scholarships, and lead in their communities. She underscores the law’s importance in fostering a culture of resilience and empowerment.
Gaines criticizes the Obama and Biden administrations for altering Title IX to accommodate gender ideology, which she argues has led to unfair competition and threatened the rights of female athletes. She cites a recent Trump administration ruling against UPenn for violating Title IX and the creation of a Title IX Special Investigations Unit under Trump’s leadership as steps toward restoring the law’s original purpose.
As a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, Gaines credits Title IX with not only shaping her athletic career but also her personal growth. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining the biological definition of sex under Title IX to protect the integrity of women’s sports and the future of female leaders in society.
Gaines’s advocacy underscores a broader concern about the impact of redefining Title IX on women’s rights and the need to safeguard the law to ensure continued opportunities for female athletes and the next generation of leaders.
Former NCAA swimmer and Title IX advocate Riley Gaines is raising awareness about the current legal challenges to women’s sports rights. She is emphasizing the historical efforts and sacrifices of women to achieve equality in athletics and education through Title IX. This law, enacted in 1972, has been instrumental in enabling millions of women to compete and pursue opportunities beyond the athletic field.
Gaines highlights the importance of preserving the law’s original intent, which was to protect biological sex-based rights, rather than allowing self-identified gender to redefine these rights. She cites recent examples from the Trump administration, such as the ruling against UPenn for violating Title IX, as evidence of the ongoing fight to uphold the law. She also references the creation of a new Title IX Special Investigations Unit to enforce the law’s provisions and ensure that schools comply with its requirements.
Gaines’s advocacy is part of a larger movement to address the impact of redefining Title IX on women’s rights. She is calling for the restoration of the law’s original purpose, which she believes is essential for maintaining the integrity of women’s sports and protecting the rights of female athletes.