Texas Governor Greg Abbott has taken a bold stance against President Biden’s administration, announcing that his state will not be implementing changes to Title IX protections that include “gender identity.” In a letter sent to the White House, Abbott criticized the expansion of Title IX protections, stating that the law was originally intended to support the advancement of women academically and athletically based on the premise that there are only two sexes — male and female.
Abbott’s letter called the Biden administration’s efforts to impose gender identity protections onto Title IX a “leftist belief” that exceeds the President’s authority. He instructed the Texas Education Agency to ignore the new rules, which were unveiled earlier this month to address concerns from LGBTQ+ groups regarding discrimination and bullying based on gender identity.
The Texas Governor’s refusal to comply with the updated federal protections is part of a larger trend of opposition from states like Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia, who have expressed intentions to legally challenge the Biden administration on this issue. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has already filed a lawsuit against the White House, accusing them of “gutting commonsense provisions that protect female athletes.”
Abbott’s letter focused specifically on the expansion of Title IX to cover gender identity, which he claimed would undermine laws protecting the integrity of women’s sports by allowing men to compete against female athletes. He vowed to fight to protect these laws and deny what he sees as an abuse of authority by the federal government.
The battle over Title IX protections is shaping up to be a contentious legal and political issue, with state officials across the country taking a stand against the Biden administration’s changes. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how the courts will ultimately decide on this controversial issue.
