PlusSports

Ambiguity Is the Enemy of Equality in Sports and the Law

Solutions to the challenges faced by college sports can’t come at the expense of competitive fairness for female athletes.

Share this story

Virginia swimmers Gretchen Walsh, Alex Walsh, Reilly Tiltmann, and Kate Douglass celebrate after winning the 400-yard freestyle relay at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta, March 19, 2022.

Brett Davis/USA Today Sports

There are physical differences between men and women, and those differences matter, especially in competitive sports. Women deserve the chance to compete and win on a level playing field — and to dress and shower without a male in the room. Biology is not bigotry. It is basic fairness, and limiting women’s sports to biological females is the law in 27 states.

This is why the current language of the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) under consideration in the U.S. Senate should be clarified to eliminate any ambiguity related to state laws that protect women’s sports. Last month, a firestorm erupted over this issue before the Senate adjourned for its usual August recess without acting on the bill. We can expect the body to resume discussions very quickly after it returns on September 14.

LW

About the Author

Lathan Watts

Lathan Watts is the vice president of public affairs for Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal) and its sister organization ADF Action.

Comments

Advertisement

Advertisement