On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases concerning whether men identifying as women can compete in women’s sports. 

The arguments, described as “monumental” for the future of women’s sports, garnered widespread attention on both sides of the aisle, with people lining up for entry to the court as early as Friday. 

Proponents of women’s sports believe allowing men to participate in women’s sports is both “unfair and dangerous,” undermining the protections enshrined in Title IX, which was designed to ensure equal opportunities for both women and men in sports and elsewhere. As evidence, they point to the hundreds of medals taken from female athletes by men identifying as female. 

Title IX states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 

In both cases before the court, the states involved (Idaho and West Virginia, respectively) passed laws attempting to reaffirm Title IX’s protections by requiring students to participate in sports aligning with their biological sex. And in both cases, “transgender” individuals sued, arguing the state laws violated their right to equal protection by preventing them from competing in sports aligned with their “gender identity.”  

One of the individuals, a male identifying as female under the name Becky Pepper-Jackson, also argued that Title IX grants him a right to participate in sports aligned with his “gender identity” rather than his actual, biological sex. 

That’s absurd. Title IX prohibits discrimination “on the basis of sex”—a term we at Students for Life believe means “on the basis of sex,” not on the basis of “perceived sex” or “gender identity.” 

Title IX doesn’t allow biological males to compete in sports where they have a natural advantage allowing them to take medals that would otherwise go to women. It does the opposite—protecting women’s right to compete in sports and receive recognition and awards for doing so. Males can’t become female just because they take hormones or have surgery—and just because they take hormones or have surgery doesn’t mean they lose their biological advantage over women. 

In oral arguments Tuesday, Idaho’s lawyers described their state’s law as necessary to protecting women’s safety and ability to compete, pointing to males’ innate physical advantage and the increased risk of injury to female athletes forced to compete with males. “Where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same,” they said.  

Idaho’s lawyers are exactly right—and that’s exactly why Title IX exists, providing the two different sexes equal opportunities to compete in sports. 

But Title IX doesn’t just protect women in sports—it also protects women who are pregnant and parenting, ensuring they have the resources they need to choose life. Under Title IX, female students cannot lose scholarships, housing, athletic eligibility, or other opportunities simply because they are pregnant or parenting. 

Learn more: Read about Students for Life Action’s push to educate pregnant students on their Title IX rights HERE.

Title IX sends a simple message: Do not discriminate on the basis of sex. It protects women’s distinct programs and needs, allowing them to retain their unique abilities while equally participating in society. 

If Title IX is undermined, or if its meaning is twisted to include anyone who chooses to identify as female, women’s sports may be the first to go—but they certainly won’t be the last. 

The Supreme Court must affirm that women’s sports are for REAL women only—a decision that won’t just protect athletes, but women everywhere. 

READ NEXT: The Tragic Irony of Redefining Title IX: Fewer Protections for Women