The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recently passed a measure that would effectively block any biological male identifying as a female from participating in women’s sports. The move comes amid the hotly debated topic of the involvement of transgender athletes in female athletics.
Reportedly, the NAIA Council of Presidents passed the initiative with no opposition in an uncontested vote of 20-0. The move replaces a previous partial ban that only applied to postseason competitions and now encompasses the entire season.
The organization noted the controversial topic, which draws various opinions. However, the NAIA maintained that creating a fair environment for women competing in their respective sports is necessary, claiming the ban is in line with Title IX.
“We know there are a lot of different opinions out there,” NAIA President Jim Carr explained to CBS Sports. “For us, we believed our first responsibility was to create fairness and competition in the NAIA. … We also think it aligns with the reasons Title IX was created. You’re allowed to have separate but equal opportunities for women to compete.”
After the measure’s passage, all athletes who fall under the NAIA must compete in the gender category to which they were assigned at birth. Carr emphasized that transgender athletes are allowed to compete in sports and that the move is not a total ban. “It’s important to know that the male sports are open to anyone,” he explained.
This NAIA policy differs from the official stance of the NCAA, which permits official governance within each sport to make their determination on rules regarding transgender athletes. The NCAA commented that it would continue to uphold Title IX and ensure fairness across women’s athletics.
“College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and the NCAA will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports, and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships,” according to a statement from the NCAA.
However, a group of women’s sports activists, including Riley Gaines, recently sued the NCAA for allegedly violating their Title IX rights by forcing them to compete against and share locker rooms with transgender athletes. Gaines became a prominent political activist, promoting fairness in women’s athletics, after competing against the controversial former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.
Furthermore, Amy Novak, the chair of the Council of Presidents and President of St. Ambrose University, commented on the policy change by the NAIA, asserting that after thorough research spanning nearly two years, the move is the most optimal balance between creating a fair, competitive environment for women and inclusion of transgender athletes.
“The task force spent nearly two years reviewing research, meeting with experts to better understand potential policy challenges, and obtaining feedback from multiple membership groups,” Novak said. “With this policy, the NAIA has made its best effort to allow for the inclusion of transgender athletes in any way that does not impact the competitive fairness of women’s sports. Our priority is to protect the integrity of women’s athletics and allow them equal opportunity to succeed.”
Featured image credit: filip bossuyt from Kortrijk, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:5149_start_halve_finale_100m_schippers_(27923888094).jpg
"*" indicates required fields