Sensible Words on Title IX

[ponyboy]

Excerpts from a very sensible petition from Iowa:

We, the undersigned, applaud the intent of Title IX and agree that athletic opportunity is important to both male and female athletes. We however, disagree with the interpretation of Title IX by the Department of Education....

The guidelines have been applied in a way that no school is likely to satisfy them without meeting arbitrary quotas between male and female participation in athletics, regardless of the actual interest level of male and female students. The Department's aggressive enforcement of those quotas has not resulted in significant gains for women, but has resulted primarily in the destruction of opportunities for men....

Presently for every female athlete added to a college sports program under [Title IX] guidelines, four or five male athletes are being dropped. If the present trend continues, many sports programs for men at the college level will soon be extinct. [For instance] since 1972, 433 college wrestling programs have been eliminated as a result of this approach...

We believe that opportunities should be created for women who want to participate in athletics, but equality is not gained by prohibiting other people from participating just so that the numbers look right. Arbitrary quotas do not take into account the individual preferences and choices of both men and women....

Women currently out number men at most colleges and universities. Women's collegiate sports programs currently out number men's programs. However, women still [show lower levels of per capita interest] than men....

The sports that are most affected include many Olympic sports which are on the way to extinction at the college level. The cuts in men's sports also hurt the women who compete in those sports and who benefit from cross-training. We believe therefore that the gender preferences and quotas must be abolished....

We hereby affix our names to this petition: