by JD Davidson
An Ohio senator wants state lawmakers to send a message to the U.S. Department of Education to exclude sexual orientation and gender identity from Title IX.
U.S. Rep. Andrew Brenner, D-Delaware, recently introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, which calls on the Biden administration and Congress to remove all references to sexual orientation and gender identity from Title IX.
The resolution as well states that members of the Ohio General Assembly believe that “a broad expansion of Title IX is detrimental to all women’s sports.” Before President Joe Biden approved the changes, the landmark 37-word legislation signed by President Richard Nixon in 1972 was known as the Civil Rights Amendment Amendment of 1964, which gave women and girls the right to compete in track and field in secondary schools and universities.
“This is yet another exercise by the Legislature abusing members of the LGBTQ+ community in Ohio and wasting taxpayer dollars with yet another lawsuit,” Antonio said. “As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I find this harsh and preventive resolution outrageous and offensive.”
Antonio also said that a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling defined gender in civil rights statutes to include sexual orientation, pointing out that protections for LGBTQ+ students and trans athletes fall within the scope of what the law understands as discrimination on the basis of sex.
The resolution comes as the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas continues to maintain review of a recent state law that prohibits gender-affirming health care for youth and bans men, including those claiming to be women, from participating on women’s sports teams.
The restraining order came after the ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit saying the bill violated the Ohio Constitution’s single-subject rule, health care principles, the Equal Protection Clause and due process laws.
In December, Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the bill and a week later issued an executive order which banned gender-affirming surgery on minors and developed appropriate health care policies for children and adults.
Republican-majority Senate and House easily voted down veto in January.
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Ohio native J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience at newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He served as a reporter, editor, editor-in-chief and publisher. Davidson is the magazine’s regional editor Central Square.
