Proposition 1 Protects New Yorkers Without Harming Girls Sports
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Proposition 1 is about many important issues for New Yorkers. It protects reproductive health care, including abortion, birth control and IVF. It ensures our LGBTQ+ communities will not lose their rights to equal treatment. It provides older and disabled residents with better access to public spaces and facilities.
Unfortunately, misinformation has the potential to derail Proposition 1 while doing nothing to change what it claims to care about – saving girls sports.
There have been recent letters against Proposition 1 that include misleading statements suggesting it would undermine Title IX by forcing girls to compete against physically stronger biological males; grant males a constitutional right to compete on girls’ and women’s sports teams; and have a significant detrimental effect on girls’ sports in New York. Please consider these perspectives.
- According to the New York City Bar Association, Proposition 1 is actually “consistent with Title IX, the controlling federal law that has already been interpreted by federal courts to require young people to play on sports teams that match their gender identity and expression.” It does not undermine Title IX.
- New York’s anti-discrimination laws already allow transgender athletes to play on teams that align with their identity. In other words, current law permits transgender girls to try out for a girls’ team and transgender boys to try out for a boys’ team – providing they meet specific New York State Public High School Athletic Association guidelines. Proposition 1 would strengthen protections that already exist for transgender kids.
- Some are confusing Proposition 1 with the state Board of Regents proposal to form gender-neutral, mixed sports when there is no equivalent team. This would have enabled any girl to try out for football and any boy to try out for field hockey, softball and volleyball. While the proposal was shelved, it will likely be raised in the future. If so, there will be an opportunity to express opinions at that time. This proposal is separate from Proposition 1.
Before Nov. 5, it is important to read factual information about Proposition 1 and then make an educated decision at the ballot box.
Karen Haines Pressman
Cortlandt
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