August 1, 2022
Washington, DC
On June 23, 2022, on the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Department of Education released a proposed rule that guts Title IX’s protections for women and girls, and redefines “sex” to include “sex stereotypes, sex-related characteristics, sexual orientation, and gender identity.”
Title IX–the pinnacle achievement in educational equality for women–was passed in recognition of the inherent distinction between men and women, one born from immutable biological traits, and prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity that receives federal financial assistance, from Kindergarten through college.
But the Department of Education’s proposed rule aims to destroy the very purpose of Title IX with definitions and applications that will:
- Allow biological males who identify as women to access women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, dorms, athletic facilities, and other sex-segregated venues at any federally funded educational institution, thereby creating a high-risk environment that violates women’s basic privacy;
- Allow biological males to compete in women’s sports at any federally funded educational institution, thereby limiting women’s opportunities for scholarships, playing time, and participation by ignoring the distinct competitive advantages males possess over females;
- Allow federally funded educational institutions to weaponize woke ideology and undermine free speech through a broadened definition of sexual harassment that includes the vague and subjective concept of “unwelcome sex-based conduct,” thereby muzzling students and teachers and creating a heckler’s veto of the highest order;
- Allow federally funded educational institutions to deprive those accused of sexual assault or harassment of due process protections by requiring the adjudication of claims by a single investigator, thereby gutting the 2020 Title IX rule establishing those protections, including the introduction of evidence, representation by counsel, and cross-examination of witnesses, in order to protect both accused and accuser; and
- Remove protections for federally funded religious educational institutions that adhere to a traditional belief on sexuality, gender, and marriage by eliminating previous clarifications on Title IX’s religious exemption that were issued as recently as 2020.
Conservatives vehemently oppose the Biden administration’s radical attempt to rewrite Title IX. Whether it’s the deluded insistence that men can get pregnant, the intentional effort to replace mothers with the phrase “pregnant people,” or the inability to even define a woman, the Biden administration’s Title IX proposal is merely the latest illustration of the left’s woke war on women–a war that through both policy proposals and institutional capture seeks to erase women from civil society.
With its new Title IX rule, the Biden administration is pursuing a radical agenda and proposing a change to our laws and to our educational system that will do irreversible and long-lasting harm to women, girls, the wrongly accused, our faith institutions, and freedom of speech. With such a transformative proposal under consideration, it’s imperative that citizens take action to defeat it.
Under federal law, the Department of Education is required to take written comments from the public into consideration when promulgating a new rule of any kind. The public comment period on its new Title IX rule closes on Sept. 12.
We encourage concerned citizens, parents, and students to submit public comments (https://www.regulations.gov/document/ED-2021-OCR-0166-0001) in opposition to the administration’s radical Title IX rewrite and urge lawmakers to utilize every tool and legislative option available to rescind this regulation upon implementation.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Attorney General President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988) |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. |
| David N. Bossie President Citizens United |
The Honorable Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union (ACU) |
| Chad Connelly Founder and President Faith Wins |
L. Brent Bozell III Founder and President Media Research Center |
| The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell President The Leadership Institute |
Penny Y. Nance President & CEO Concerned Women for America |
| Star Parker Founder & President Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) |
Marty Dannenfelser Vice President for Government Relations and Coalitions Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) |
| Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. President and CEO First Liberty Institute |
Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
| Melvin Adams President Noah Webster Educational Foundation |
The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988) |
Terry Schilling President American Principles Project |
| Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
The Honorable Jim DeMint Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013) |
| Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project President & CEO, Conservative Partnership Institute |
Wesley Denton Chief Operating Officer Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
| Lori Roman President ACRU Action Fund |
Cleta Mitchell, Esq. Senior Legal Fellow Conservative Partnership Institute |
| David Bozell President ForAmerica |
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985) |
| The Honorable Tony Perkins President Family Research Council |
Thomas E. McClusky Principal Greenlight Strategies, LLC |
| Myron Ebell Director, Center for Energy and Environment Competitive Enterprise Institute |
Kevin Roberts, Ph.D. President The Heritage Foundation |
| William L. Walton The Bill Walton Show Resolute Protector Foundation |
The Honorable Paul S. Teller, Ph.D. Executive Director Advancing American Freedom |
| The Honorable Brooke Rollins President and CEO America First Policy Institute (AFPI) |
The Honorable James S. Gilmore III 68th Governor of Virginia (1998-2002) |
| Alan Sears Founder Alliance Defending Freedom |
The Honorable Scott Walker President Young America’s Foundation |
| Kristen A. Ullman President Eagle Forum |
Michelle Easton President Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women |
| Ralph Benko Chairman The Capitalist League |
Rod D. Martin Founder & CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Guillermo J. Aragon Chief Strategy Officer Martin Capital |
Christina Murphy Lusk President The Martin Foundation |
| Lourdes Cosio Campaign for the American Future |
Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Shawn A. Mitchell Former National Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
Ron Pearson Executive Director Conservative Victory Fund |
| Karen England President Capitol Resource Institute |
Tim Macy Chairman Gun Owners of America |
| Kevin Freeman Founder NSIC Institute |
Carey Woodruff Executive Vice President Foundation for American Christian Education |
| Charles J. Cooper Assistant Attorney General, President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988) Cooper & Kirk, PLLC |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
| Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
Kelly M. Kullberg Senior Advisor American Association of Evangelicals (AAE) |
| Grace-Marie Turner President Galen Institute |
James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
| The Honorable Stephen Stockman Former Member, Texas U.S. House of Representatives |
The Honorable Diana Denman Presidential Appointee President Ronald Reagan |
| The Honorable George K. Rasley Jr. Managing Editor ConservativeHQ.com |
Joseph A. Morris Partner, Morris & De La Rosa Former Counsel to Chairman, U.S. E.E.O.C. (President Reagan) |
| Brigitte Gabriel Founder and Chairman ACT For America |
The Honorable Peter J. Thomas Chairman Conservative Caucus |
| Mat Staver Founder and Chairman Liberty Counsel |
Sheryl Kaufman Board Member Americans for Limited Government |
| Gary Marx President The Concord Fund |
Tom DeWeese President American Policy Center |
| Seton Motley President Less Government |
Mario Navarro da Costa Director, Washington Bureau Tradition, Family, Property |
| Randy M. Long Founder Long Business Advisors, LLC |
Richard D. Hayes Partner Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP |
| C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Richard Manning President Americans for Limited Government |
| Mark Fitzgibbons President of Corporate Affairs American Target Advertising |
Dr. Steve Pettit President Bob Jones University |
| Dr. Chris Hughes Founder & Chairman Citizens for America Foundation |
Randy Page Chief of Staff Bob Jones University |
| Robert Chambers Executive Vice President AFA Action |
Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
| Floyd Brown Founder The Western Journal |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Budget Director for President Reagan (1985-1988) |
| Jay Mount President MDS Communications Corporation |
Richard Rounsavelle Trustee MRC |
| The Honorable Jason Rapert Founder & President National Association of Christian Lawmakers |
Joan Holt Lindsey President Lindsey Communications |
| Marcia G. Taylor CEO Bennett Family of Companies |
Dr. Virginia Armstrong National Law & Worldview Chairman Eagle Forum |
| Paul Gessing President Rio Grande Foundation |
Susan Carleson Currer Chairman American Constitutional Rights Union |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Allen J. Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship |
| Trent England Executive Director Save Our States |
G. Eric Georgatos Executive Producer America Can We Talk? |
| The Honorable Mike Hill Former Member Florida State Representative |
The Honorable Jake Hoffman Representative Arizona House of Representatives |
| Anne Schlafly Cori Chairman Eagle Forum |
Sean Noble President American Encore |
| Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor |
Dr. Allen Unruh Founder National Abstinence Clearinghouse |
| Jeremy Cerone Member Council for National Policy |
Amb. Henry F. Cooper President Reagan’s Chief Defense and Space Arms Negotiator Former SDI Director |
| Gerard Kassar State Chairman NYS Conservative Party |
Michael Lunsford Executive Director Citizens for a New Louisiana |
| James C. Dobson, Ph.D. Founder & President Dr. James Dobson Family Institute |
The Honorable Briscoe Cain Texas State Representative, House District 128 Texas House of Representatives |
| Andresen Blom President Hawaiian Values |
Stephen T. Whelan Chairman Witherspoon Institute Inc. |
| Susan T. Muskett, J.D. President Pro-Family Women |
Paavo Ensio Chairman Universal Minerals Group |
| Dr. Thomas Sheahen President Wesern Technology Incorporated |
Don Woodsmall Interim President Center for Security Policy, Inc |
| William Haygood Shaker CEO Washington Marketing Group |
Gene Mills President Louisiana Family Forum |
| Paul Blair Pastor Liberty Pastors Network |
Sandy Rios Director of Governmental Affairs American Family Association |
| The Honorable Mary Vought Executive Director Senate Conservatives Fund |
Devon Westhill President and General Counsel Center for Equal Opportunity |
| Dean Nelson Chairman Frederick Douglass Foundation |
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