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Title IX
Vol. 1, No. 7 (October 23, 1997) This is part of a series of regular reports to update, inform, educate and stimulate public discussion
MANY WOMEN ARE AGAINST PROPORTIONALITY IN THE TITLE IX DEBATE
There is a common misconception in the media that a majority of women
across America are in favor of the use of proportionality as a method of
enforcement of the Title IX law. Special interest groups, such as the
National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Women’s Sports Foundation
(WSF), have trumpeted the virtues of proportionality, and have acted as
if they speak for all of the women in the nation.
The truth is that women across the nation are becoming aware of the
destructive aspects of proportionality, which is being used as a gender
quota in our educational programs. More and more women are speaking out
against proportionality, and insisting that NOW and the WSF do not speak
for them.
INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S FORUM COMES OUT AGAINST PROPORTIONALITY
An influential women’s organization, the Independent Women’s Forum
(IWF), based in Washington, D.C., has come out strongly against the use
of proportionality quotas as a way to enforce Title IX. This group gets
involved in numerous important public policy issues, working to protect
the interests of women.
Barbara Ledeen, the Executive Director for Policy for the Independent
Women’s Forum, explains why this is such an important issue for her
organization.
“The Independent Women’s Forum is a national organization of women
dedicated to the principles of individual liberty and personal
responsibility, and to the imperative of equal opportunity for all
Americans,” said Ledeen. “Under its current enforcement regime, Title IX
manages to offend each of these principles.”
“The problem is not Title IX itself, which simply and correctly outlaws
discrimination on the basis of gender. The problem is the way in which
Title IX has been interpreted by the courts and enforced by the federal
bureaucracy. We believe that the only viable and lasting solution is a
legislative fix that puts an end to the elimination of men’s athletic
opportunities under Title IX and stops an expansion of proportionality
into other areas of the academy.”
THE PLAY FAIR! PROJECT HAS BEEN CREATED TO FIGHT FOR CHANGE
The Independent Women’s Forum has developed the Play Fair! project in
response to its position in the Title IX debate. This project is
designed to educate the public about the issue and work for change.
According to a Play Fair! project outline, the Independent Women’s Forum
plans “to implement a national educational campaign to create voter
demand for redress of the court-mandated, discriminatory enforcement of
Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of
1964. We aim to create the climate necessary to end all sex and race
quota systems and foster the restoration of Title IX enforcement to its
original intent.”
“Athletic opportunities for women are now mandated to be proportionate
to those of men, based upon the enrollment of the institution, and
regardless of the interest level of either sex in participation,” the
outline continues.
“Most significantly, the proponents of proportional representation have
declared victory in athletics and have now embarked on an effort to
expand enforcement into all areas of the academy (and, eventually, down
into K-12 education). Today, the losers are men in wrestling, baseball,
swimming and a host of other sports; but tomorrow, the victims of Title
IX could well be women in literature and arts programs and men in
engineering and the sciences,” the IWF continues.
“The trajectory of the Title IX debate - moving from the sports target
to other areas of education - makes it a natural point of commonality
for a powerful coalition of different groups,” the outline concludes.
WOMEN ARE CONTINUALLY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST PROPORTIONALITY
The Independent Women’s Forum is just an example of the many women who
are strongly against proportionality. Numerous women journalists have
echoed the sentiments of the IWF:
According to Kate O’Beirne of the National Review: “Despite the
evidence that women now freely engage in sports in proportion to their
interest, federal courts and the Clinton Administration are forcing
colleges to eliminate men’s teams in order to create an even ratio in
male and female athletics.”
Says Camille Paglia, in an editorial in USA Today: “Title IX, a 1972
amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, has been distorted by cowardly
and self-serving university administrators who are scapegoating men’s
athletics instead of fighting for principle against intrusive Washington
bureaucrats.”
Writes Maureen E. Mahoney in a Sports Illustrated editorial: “Women
don’t have to have 50% of the varsity positions to succeed as athletes.
They need equal opportunity, and you don’t get that from a numerical
formula.”
Just remember that the voices against proportionality are both male and
female!!!
PROPORTIONALITY IS BEGINNING TO WREAK HAVOC IN FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOLS
Those who believe that proportionality is only an issue on the college
level, we have some bad news for you. The push to force gender quotas is
now happening on the high school level in Florida, and will be coming to
your community soon.
l Bill Buchalter, a respected sports journalist from the Orlando
Sentinel, wrote a frightening story in his recent Prep Report column.
Buchalter writes:
“Last spring, Apopka High School took 18 baseball players to the Class
6A state title game. If the Blue Darters return, the team will be
limited to 15 players. That’s the price one team must pay to meet
gender-equity guidelines imposed by the Florida Department of Education.
Every public school in Florida is wrestling with ways to make the
percentage of boys and girls participating in sports more equal. As a
result, some boys who would have made the team won’t get to play. That’s
too bad. Girls should be given the same opportunities to participate in
athletics as boys, but boys shouldn’t suffer to make numbers look good
on paper.”
... But expect the cuts to be deeper for boys teams while more girls
are encouraged to participate. That’s the way schools will try to make
the number of boys and girls participating in athletics more equal. To
be in compliance, the percentage of girls participating must be within
five percent of the percentage of girls in the school.
‘Apparently, the only way to get into compliance is to eliminate
positions for boys,’ said Phil King, athletic director for Apopka.”
l Buchalter tells how the enforcement of Title IX includes both
participation and funding.
“Schools are being told to come up with plans for money raised by teams
to be shared equally by boys and girls programs. Apopka’s baseball team
raised roughly $15,000 last year, five times the amount the softball
team raised. Now the school is required to divide the money more
equitably between the programs. ‘It doesn’t seem right,’Apopka’s King
said.”
l Buchalter hits the nail on the head with his concluding paragraph:
“Gender equity is well intended, but the focus should be on making sure
the opportunities are available for girls and they are welcomed to
participate. I don’t see how cutting a deserving boy from a baseball
team helps anyone.”
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