Title IX and the rise and fall of women’s sports

Bernice Sandler, the ‘Godmother of Title IX’, says the legislation she helped draft was ‘the most important step for gender equality since the 19th Amendment gave us the right to vote’ . Title IX turned 50 this week, and it hasn’t aged well.

Title IX prohibits discrimination « in connection with any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. » Buried in the 1972 Education Amendments, the provision was dubbed by ESPN the « 37 Words That Changed Everything » for women’s sports. It was initially a boon, opening the doors to scholarships and lucrative careers unthinkable before his passing. Yet the march of gender ideology threatens to unravel this progress.