Press ReleaseBipartisan2026-09-28

While Republicans Stand Up for Women, Democrats Reveal How Radical They’ve Become

Foreign Policy

Context

This press release from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was published on 2026-09-28 and titled "While Republicans Stand Up for Women, Democrats Reveal How Radical They’ve Become".

Full Text

While Republicans Stand Up for Women, Democrats Reveal How Radical They’ve Become

In 1972, there were just over 300,000 female athletes in high school and collegiate sports. Today, that number is over 3 million - a ten-fold increase all thanks to a single law: Title IX. By requiring equal resources for training, recruitment, and scholarships for female athletic programs, Title IX opened new opportunities for women and empowered young girls to chase their dreams. Today, female athletes are competing at the highest level of professional sports, from the Olympics to the World Cup. And every day, they are inspiring millions of girls across the country to join a team, compete, and improve their health, self-confidence, and leadership skills. This incredible development over the last five decades would have been impossible if men were allowed to compete in women's sports and steal opportunities from girls. But for four years, the Biden administration pretended as if there are no biological differences between men and women, using the full weight of the federal government to force schools to allow biological males on female teams. Young girls were forced to share locker rooms with biological males. Parents could only look on as biological men took podium positions rightfully earned by their daughters. And many young women missed out on scholarships, career opportunities, and hard-earned records after dedicating their entire lives to their sports. Last week, my colleagues and I on the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about protecting fair play in women's sports, yet not a single Democrat actively participated in it. They called no witnesses, asked no questions, and all but two Democrat senators boycotted the hearing altogether. The only Democrat who spoke during the hearing, Senator Dick Durbin (Ill.), claimed that he "refuse[d] to treat this hearing like a responsible exercise of this committee." There's a reason Democrats refused to show up: They know their position on women's sports is indefensible. Instead of standing up for women, they have bowed to a radical gender ideology that blurs the lines between the sexes, destroys fairness, and endangers women. Thankfully, the American people rejected this appalling agenda and returned President Trump to the Oval Office with a mandate to restore common sense and protect female athletes. And that's exactly what he's done. On Inauguration Day, the President issued an executive order that affirms the federal government's position that there are only two sexes: male and female. This ensures government policies are grounded in biological reality - not gender ideology. A month later, I had the honor of joining President Trump in the Oval Office as he signed an executive order that bans biological males from competing in women's sports. In the Senate, Republicans are working to codify these protections. My Title IX Clarification Act would clearly define the statutory definitions of "male" and "female" to prevent taxpayer dollars from ever being used again to support ideological redefinitions of the terms. My Republican colleagues and I also introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act , which would ensure that future administrations can never force schools to allow biological males in women's sports. As Republicans work to protect female athletes, it is imperative that we celebrate the accomplishments of the young women who practice, train, and compete every day to achieve excellence in athletics. That's why, next week, I will head down to the Senate floor and call for the passage of my resolution to establish October 10 - XX, like the female sex chromosome - as American Girls in Sports Day. It's a straightforward resolution that every senator should support. It doesn't ask the Senate to create a sweeping new federal program. It doesn't ask the Senate to amend any existing law. It simply asks the Senate to say that women's sports ought to be protected. Yet every time I have introduced this resolution since 2024, Democrats have come down to the floor to object. If they once again object to celebrating women's sports, they will only confirm just how radical and anti-woman their party has become. No matter what, Republicans will continue to defend Title IX and ensure that our daughters and granddaughters receive the opportunities they have earned. And we are never backing down from this fight.

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While Republicans Stand Up for Women, Democrats Reveal How Radical They’ve Become In 1972, there were just over 300,000 female athletes in high school and collegiate sports. Today, that number is over 3 million - a ten-fold increase all thanks to a single law: Title IX. By requiring equal resources for training, recruitment, and scholarships for female athletic programs, Title IX opened new opportunities for women and empowered young girls to chase their dreams. Today, female athletes are competing at the highest level of professional sports, from the Olympics to the World Cup. And every day, they are inspiring millions of girls across the country to join a team, compete, and improve their health, self-confidence, and leadership skills. This incredible development over the last five decades would have been impossible if men were allowed to compete in women's sports and steal opportunities from girls. But for four years, the Biden administration pretended as if there are no biological differences between men and women, using the full weight of the federal government to force schools to allow biological males on female teams. Young girls were forced to share locker rooms with biological males. Parents could only look on as biological men took podium positions rightfully earned by their daughters. And many young women missed out on scholarships, career opportunities, and hard-earned records after dedicating their entire lives to their sports. Last week, my colleagues and I on the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about protecting fair play in women's sports, yet not a single Democrat actively participated in it. They called no witnesses, asked no questions, and all but two Democrat senators boycotted the hearing altogether. The only Democrat who spoke during the hearing, Senator Dick Durbin (Ill.), claimed that he "refuse[d] to treat this hearing like a responsible exercise of this committee." There's a reason Democrats refused to show up: They know their position on women's sports is indefensible. Instead of standing up for women, they have bowed to a radical gender ideology that blurs the lines between the sexes, destroys fairness, and endangers women. Thankfully, the American people rejected this appalling agenda and returned President Trump to the Oval Office with a mandate to restore common sense and protect female athletes. And that's exactly what he's done. On Inauguration Day, the President issued an executive order that affirms the federal government's position that there are only two sexes: male and female. This ensures government policies are grounded in biological reality - not gender ideology. A month later, I had the honor of joining President Trump in the Oval Office as he signed an executive order that bans biological males from competing in women's sports. In the Senate, Republicans are working to codify these protections. My Title IX Clarification Act would clearly define the statutory definitions of "male" and "female" to prevent taxpayer dollars from ever being used again to support ideological redefinitions of the terms. My Republican colleagues and I also introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act , which would ensure that future administrations can never force schools to allow biological males in women's sports. As Republicans work to protect female athletes, it is imperative that we celebrate the accomplishments of the young women who practice, train, and compete every day to achieve excellence in athletics. That's why, next week, I will head down to the Senate floor and call for the passage of my resolution to establish October 10 - XX, like the female sex chromosome - as American Girls in Sports Day. It's a straightforward resolution that every senator should support. It doesn't ask the Senate to create a sweeping new federal program. It doesn't ask the Senate to amend any existing law. It simply asks the Senate to say that women's sports ought to be protected. Yet every time I have introduced this resolution since 2024, Democrats have come down to the floor to object. If they once again object to celebrating women's sports, they will only confirm just how radical and anti-woman their party has become. No matter what, Republicans will continue to defend Title IX and ensure that our daughters and granddaughters receive the opportunities they have earned. And we are never backing down from this fight.