Bonanza Valley Voice -

On Thursday, April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.

"There are biological differences between men and women," said Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach of Paynesville. "Ignoring these differences and allowing men to participate in women's sports puts women and girls at an inherent disadvantage and robs them of rewards for their hard work and perseverance. I am proud of the House for passing this legislation, and strengthening the amazing progress that has been made for women's sports by Title IX."

This law states that sex in the athletic context must be recognized based only on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth. It makes it a violation of Title IX for a recipient of federal financial assistance who operates, sponsors, or facilitates athletic programs or activities to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls. It also clarifies that nothing prohibits these recipients from permitting males to train or practice with an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls so long as no female is deprived of any benefit that accompanies participating in the athletic program or activity.

Since Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was enacted 50 years ago, incredible progress has been made for women in sports. But the Biden administration has released a regulation that would eliminate states' ability to protect women and girls from discrimination in athletics by ignoring the biological differences between men and women and the impacts those differences have on women in sport. H.R. 734 will prevent this radical regulatory scheme.

Note: you can watch the House Republican's women's press conference with the Congresswoman's full remarks by clicking here: https://bit.ly/41Koy3f.

In related news...

On April 19, 2023, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, Inc. emailed a letter to Sun Prairie Area schools in Wisconsin asked that the school provide a more adequate response to an incident where a male 18-year old who identifies as a woman exposed his body parts to four ninth grade girls in a locker room shower on March 3, 2023. The law firm alleges that the school district violated federal Title IX law by not notifying the school's Title IX coordinator to address the incident through the proper channels.

Furthermore, an adult male exposing his genitals to four girls of their age could potentially implicate Wisconsin criminal statute, Wis. Stat. § 948.10.

This situation is ongoing, but the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper will follow it and make note of what happens. It is the hope of the newspaper publisher that something this brazenly vile and disgusting would never take place in central Minnesota. As with all things, time will tell, but the odds are not in our favor with the DFL party and Governor Walz in charge of our government.