AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Title IX, which was passed in 1972, legally guarantees the freedom from gender-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs and activities. Title IX applies to both public and private schools and includes protections from sexual assault and harassment. Equal opportunities are mandated, and transgender rights are supposed to be supported. However, what you cannot learn from the generic synopsis of Title IX is that the last two guarantees are currently under threat by the new leadership of our country. 

In fact, just under a month after officially taking office for the second time, Donald Trump passed a bill titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports with the goal of doing what the transphobic conservatives of our country dream of: not recognizing transgender individuals, prohibiting them from living a normal life, and manipulating smaller branches of the government to comply with their ideology.

Trump’s new bill, which claims to abide by Title IX, actually does not and is merely based on opinion. Title IX guarantees transgender rights, but Trump’s order denies them. Title IX also assures equal opportunities for women and girls, which is what Trump claims his order does, based on the fact that he does not believe in the possibility of someone being transgender, but it is a power move focused on gaining control over the states and spreading his mantra.

The transgender debate has started at the federal level, but it has trickled down to affect teen athletes, specifically females, all over the country. Recently, in California, during this year’s state track and field final, controversy arose over a 16-year-old transgender girl competing in the meet. Before the competition started, President Trump made his feelings clear about the situation: she could compete, and California could lose its federal funding, or the state of California could prohibit Hernandez from competing and retain its finances. 

Well, for those who do not follow high school sports in California, Hernandez ended up competing in the meet, but because of the threats the state faced, the organizers of the meet were pressured to change the rules to retain their funds. Despite placing in any event or even winning, Hernandez would be required to share the podium with another athlete regardless of the place she earned. So, since Hernandez placed first in the high jump and triple jump and second in the long jump, she was made to share the podium. 

While the transgender debate has gotten worse since Trump took over the presidency, it has existed for years. 

Back in 2022, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas made the headlines over the controversy she caused while competing in the NCAAs. Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an event (500 free), but she also placed 8th in the 100 free and tied for fifth in the 200 free. It is unfair to say that she had a significant advantage since she only won one event instead of completing a clean sweep, but many disagreed. One such person, Riley Gaines, freaked out after tying in the event. Despite both athletes finishing simultaneously and sharing the podium, Thomas was awarded the fifth-place trophy over Gaines. Even though Gaines was promised her trophy, she was made to pose with the sixth-place trophy. 

Since 2022, Gaines has become a devoted advocate for the anti-transgender movement, specifically regarding female athletes in sports. She was even present when Trump signed his bill.

The way I see it, the only people who have a problem with transgender females competing in sports are adults or children directly influenced by their parents. I don’t see a problem with allowing transgender athletes to compete directly against female athletes. If anything, transgender athletes deserve the same respect as any other competitor. If they’re better than you, there’s no reason to blame them for how they identify themselves; you should use it as motivation to work harder.

Transgender athletes should not be criticized or suffer consequences for simply living their lives the way they feel most comfortable.