Wyoming brings Title IX fight to Capitol

CASPER — State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder has traveled to Washington to join other states in opposition of President Joe Biden’s new Title IX rules. 

Wyoming is just one of more than 20 states trying to sue the Biden Administration for changes to the federal statute that provides equal protections regardless of sex in schools. Enacted in 1972, Title IX has helped women gain equal ground in sports and employment practices. Federal funding for both public K-12 schools and public universities is tied to Title IX compliance. 

Biden’s new regulations change Title IX from being “sex” based discrimination to sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. The changes take place Aug. 1 of this year. 

States, including Wyoming, are concerned that this will create dangers for cisgendered women. 

The issue most typically comes up with regard to women’s sports. 

Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender individual to win a national title in the 2022 NCAA 500-yard freestyle event for swimming. At the same event, Thomas tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with Riley Gaines.

Gaines took to various platforms to say that she walked away without a trophy despite Thomas receiving one. Gaines believed that Thomas should not be allowed to compete with other cisgender women. 

World Aquatics has a ban on transgender athletes competing outside of their assigned sex in high-level competitions such as the Olympics. 

Thomas recently appealed this ruling but lost. 

Several states have attempted and succeeded in passing what they call the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.” This law effectively bans transgender women and girls from participating in any sports for females. 

Wyoming passed this bill in 2023, and Gov. Mark Gordon allowed it to become law without his signature. At the time, Gordon called the bill “draconian.” 

“Messages like these, whether explicit or implicit, can have a devastating impact on the mental health and well being of individuals who already face significant discrimination and marginalization,” he said in a letter to the secretary of state. 

Now, Gordon is supporting the state’s fight against Biden’s changes. 

“The state adamantly upholds its core principles of fairness, privacy and the sanctity of women’s sports, opposing any imposition of ambiguous standards that threaten these ideals,” said Gordon in a press release. “This is yet another instance of federal overreach, seeking to impose a new interpretation on a longstanding law.” 

Degenfelder’s thoughts on the suit focus more heavily on the social-political aspect of the issue. 

“In Wyoming, we protect our girls,” said Degenfelder in a press release from Gordon’s office. “We will never allow outrageous political agendas to get in the way of that. Not in bathrooms, not in education, not in sports. Period.”