Proponents fear Bush administration might gut Title IX

[BrklynLiberal]

While this is not Breaking News, it deserves more attention during this finale of March Madness. It is actually another, and very subtle way the Bush Administration is attacking the role and rights of women in this society.

On the cusp of it's 30th anniversary, Title IX -- long viewed as the catalyst for the explosion in girls' and women's athletics -- is under siege, its supporters fear.

A flurry of nervous phone calls and e-mails has kicked up over the past few days in the close-knit community of women's athletics administration. At best, they suggest the statute has been threatened by a prominent lawsuit and a national columnist. The worst-case rumor scenario: President George Bush's administration soon will re-examine Title IX, the 1972 law that guarantees, among many other things, equal opportunities in athletics for males and females.
<snip>
"If it's true, that's disgraceful," Grant said. "I cannot believe that this president is considering this. What I think might happen is that he'll rile the parents of every young, talented girl and woman athlete -- that's what he's going to risk.
<snip>
Recent stories in national newspapers about the lawsuit have provoked discussion, but nothing fanned the flames of the debate like a column in the current issue of Newsweek by the conservative George Will. Under the headline "A Train Wreck Called Title IX," Will uses words like "nonsense" and "lunacy" to describe Title IX.
<snip>
"It is so frustrating to me that Title IX is in some jeopardy," Carpenter said, "because of bad, disingenuous decisions by college administrators who have chosen to ignore the fact that more than half their students are women. It's easier to blame Title IX, and to drag your feet for 20 years. President Bush, it seems, is following this back-door method."

Added Grant, "The Republicans, apparently, have been trying to reach out to women. Well, this would be a leap back to the 18th century. I cannot think that the members of congress will stand by and allow him to do this."

more...

http://espn.go.com/gen/womenandsports/020523garber.html

[CTyankee]

1. Are we surprised? Hello...

Of course not. This was coming, sure as rain. GWB won, he's collecting his reward, Title IX is a goner, but what does he care as his daughters are doing just fine (btw, what ARE they doing?). And once abortion is made illegal just like pre-1973, well, if they have an unfortunate accident, they'll just go to a nice place where they can have a clean abortion, no problemo.

This is where I came in.

[Quetzal]

2. Patsy Mink would have been furious at the Bush administration

This Hawaiian hopes her legacy and spirit will live on in the next generation.



I still wish she was my reprensentative - she is ten times better than Ed Case.

Mink took what she learned in high school and built some of the most influential coalitions in Congress. Her most important coalition was one to support the Title IX Amendment of the Higher Education Act, which she wrote, prohibiting gender discrimination by federally funded institutions, an outgrowth of the adversities Mink faced through college.

Mink also introduced the first comprehensive Early Childhood Education Act and authored the Women's Educational Equity Act. All of these laws written by Mink were declared landmark laws by Congress as they advanced equal rights in America beyond what could be imagined during the time. Title IX Amendment of the Higher Education Act was renamed by President George W. Bush on 29 October 2002 to become the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.

http://www.answers.com/topic/patsy-mink

Column on Patsy Mink

http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/1078/context/archive

[kiraboo]

3. Bush is just trying to bring us all back to the time when women

stayed at home in corsets and skirts, all decked out and ready for breeding. Should anybody be surprised that this aspect of the "christian" religion he endorses is showing itself in his policy? But this too will backfire on him. Fundy women will talk the talk but I doubt they're ready to walk the walk.