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Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) is suing the U.S. federal government in order to challenge the recent dissolution of Title IX protections for women and girls in education. (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects women and girls from discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive federal funding.) Since its legislation, Title IX has formed the bedrock of equal educational opportunity in the U.S., necessitating countless reforms to raise the level of opportunity for female persons in an attempt to match what had in the past only been afforded to males.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE) recently enacted a policy redefining the legal category of “sex” in Title IX to “gender-identity.” The DOJ and DOE was empowered to make this change based on the premise that it does not constitute a substantive reinterpretation of the original legislation. Women’s Liberation Front disagrees with this premise, asserting that the change presents a radical departure from the core of the legislation’s meaning and function, writing on their fundraising campaign page:

“This [redefinition] effectively renders Title IX meaningless, as females can no longer be recognized as distinct from males. Indeed, Title IX, the legislation used to champion the very creation of female sports, is now being used to dismantle them, as male athletes demand access to female teams, dominating the competition.

The reinterpretation of ‘sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ also means that girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms must be opened up to any male who ‘identifies’ as female. Girls’ rights to personal privacy and freedom from male sexual harassment, forced exposure to male nudity, and voyeurism have been eliminated with the stroke of a pen. Schools that do not comply with the demands of any male student to access protected female spaces will now lose federal funding.”

Two days ago, Women’s Liberation Front launched a gofundme campaign to cover the legal fees for bringing this challenge to the courts. The campaign has already raised over $5,000 in donations.

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Susan Cox Susan Cox is a feminist writer and academic living in the United States. She teaches in Philosophy.