The new Title IX rules issued by the Biden Administration’s Department of Education redefines “sex” to include “gender identity”, essentially allowing boys to compete in girls’ middle and high school sports across the U.S. The new rule is scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 1. However, in June, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky granted a preliminary injunction staying the new rule. The injunction applies to 10 states, including Tennessee.
This important subject was brought up at a debate on Signal Mountain between the two Hamilton County District 2 School Board candidates - Republican, Ben Daugherty, and “Independent”, Crystal Boehm. The question to each candidate was essentially “How do you feel about the new rules to Title IX?”. Daugherty’s response resonated with the crowd and was followed by an applause. Boehm’s response to the questions was followed by silence – perhaps because it shocked the crowd.
Ben Daugherty responded that he was pleased to see the injunction and that “as a father to two daughters”…”the idea of allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports is a safety issue and a massive disservice to girls who want to compete and try to thrive and do something they love and are passionate about.” Daugherty went on to say that his job as a member of the school board is to ensure that girls in Hamilton County are being protected.
Crystal Boehm responded saying, “As far as I know, this rule is going into effect on Aug. 1 and Title IX basically says that we have to make sure that our sex-separate sports stay that way. But what it also did, and I’m really excited to see, is that it expanded the sexual discrimination to include gender identity and to also include sexual orientation. That is an extra layer of protection for our children in our schools that identify in that community.”
Residents in Hamilton County (Republicans and Democrats) must be made aware of Boehm’s position on allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports. While it is not currently allowed in Tennessee, there is the possibility that, in the future, this decision would be left to the local school board to decide.
There have been dozens of reports of girls being injured by playing against males or girls losing to boys in track, cycling and weightlifting. It is dangerous to have a leader in Hamilton County that thinks it’s acceptable for a boy to spike a volleyball into a girl’s face or to take away her 1st place finish.
If Crystal Boehm could have her way, it would be the beginning of the end of girls’ sports in Hamilton County. The insanity of allowing boys in girls’ sports must end.
Travis Flenniken