High school students are heading back to school in a couple of weeks, and those participating in high school sports, especially girls’ sports, are facing a new rule change by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA). In their May 2019 board meeting, the NCHSAS voted in favor of allowing high school students to participate in athletics based upon their preferred gender identity.
Stated on the NCHSAA website, “It is the intent that all students are able to compete on a level playing field in a safe, competitive and friendly environment, free of discrimination. The following rules and regulations are intended to provide every student-athlete with equal opportunities to participate in athletics.” The NCHSAA office claims that they receive “a couple” phone calls or emails a month regarding transgender and gender identity issues. This is Commissioner Marilyn Que Tucker and the Board’s justification for voting unanimously for this disruptive policy change.
An athlete in North Carolina desiring to participate as a transgender is required to submit a “Gender Identity Request” form as well as the individual’s written statement, documentation from others, list of medications and/or treatment, and necessary health care professional’s written verification. The form is referred to the NCHSAA Gender Identity Committee for consideration; the Committee approves the request if the student is found to be genuinely identified as the gender indicated in the request. Nothing in the policy requires testing for levels of testosterone.
Without question, boys competing against girls results in an unfair, unsafe, and aggressive advantage for women now competing in sports and for athletic scholarships. How can there possibly be any equal playing field? Indeed, almost 50 years ago, Title IX closed that gap when it became a federal law in 1972 when passed by Congress to establish that women and girls have equal opportunities in education and athletics.
Concerned Women for America has written about this threat to girls’ sports here and here.
Action Item:
Your voice is needed today to speak out against the NCHSAA policy. If allowed to continue, it will set back all the advances and opportunities of female athletes.
Please take the following actions:
- Contact Marilyn Que Tucker, Commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, and urge her to reverse the policy. Phone: 919-240-7375 | E-mail: que@nchsaa.org
- Contact your child’s school district superintendent and athletic director, along with your child’s school principal. Let them know you support Title IX as it was intended in 1972 and not to insert gender identity into women’s sports. Urge them to contact Commissioner Marilyn Tucker and request she reverse course on this discriminatory policy.
Please pray that Christians will be emboldened with a great outcry to stand up for our children, especially our girls. “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:9)
For Truth and Righteousness,
Jill Coward
State Director