Draw the Line on Title IX
By Travis K. McSherley

Men and women are different.  This should be the most obvious statement in the world, yet we seem to need constant reminders that God created two quite distinct genders.  The fact that men and women are unique is both special and beautiful.

But our culture never ceases to amaze me.  The things we do in the name of "gender equality" have become quite a joke.  Everything must be "fair" in accomodating both men and women; guys and gals need to be treated exactly the same.  The criticisms of this mindset could go on forever, but we're here to talk about sports.  Under the well-known Title IX, from the 1972 Educational Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, gender discrimination in school activities is prohibited.  Among other things, this gives girls the right to play sports.

Lest I be misconstrued, this law has many positive benefits.  If girls want to play sports, no problem; I'll support that.  Girls should be given the opportunity to be involved with athletics if they choose.  My sisters and my mother have been on sports teams.  And actually, I just got back from watching my college's women's basketball team win their conference tournament.

However, like anything else, we must make sure not to let the positive attributes of Title IX cause us to look past the dangers of overdoing the gender equality idea.  Men and women are different (remember?) and their differences cannot -- and must not -- be blurred.  Our young men need to be taught to treat ladies with gentleness and respect, rather than as "just one of the guys."  Young women need to have confidence that the men in their lives that are going to protect and honor them.

I fear that high school and college sports may be yet another vehicle being used to end that precious distinction between men and women.  Recently, I've heard and read stories about girls that have or would like to play on boys' football, hockey, and wrestling teams.  To my extreme concern and surprise, the uproar over this appears to be quite minimal.  While a bill is in the works to outlaw coed wrestling in Minnesota, girls and boys wrestling is often spoken of very matter-of-factly.

Much of the argument focused on the issue of preserving boys' pride (which may be damaged if they get beat by a girl).  While this is probably true, it's really not the point.  Let me be very direct: no true gentleman would ever wrestle, tackle, or bodycheck a girl under any circumstances.  Asking a male athlete to do this is completely unfair and unacceptable.  And it puts him (or it should) at a severe disadvantage, because he should choose to go easier on a girl, defending her much gentler and more carefully than he would a male opponent.

Perhaps an even worse side effect, though, is offering hormone-driven high school or college boys an excuse to touch or treat girls in inappropriate ways.

This is not a pride issue but a moral one.  If girls are allowed to play in full-contact sports with males, then chivalry has truly died.  Is it really an acceptable bargain to trade opening the door for a woman for pinning her to the ground?  I realize that women of the 21st Century may not be as "dainty" or "prissy" as the stereotypical "lady"; but they are still ladies, and deserve to be treated as such.  I doubt that many of the so-called feminists would truly find it insulting if the men around them would act like men by treating them like women.

Merely playing physical sports with women is not going to be the sole cause for a man to rape a woman or abuse a spouse.  However, it is bound to desensitize the tenderness of a man if he becomes accustomed to being so rough with ladies.  Therefore, I must candidly oppose allowing boys and girls to play contact sports together; and I applaud the athletes, coaches, and school officials who refuse to allow chivalry to be displaced in the sports world -- even if it means a forfeit or loss to take that stand.

Technically, I suppose that denying girls the right to play on boys' wrestling or football teams is a violation of the Title IX rules.  But allowing them to compete together in those kinds of sports -- especially wrestling -- is madness.  If they can get the participation for all-girls teams, I guess that's their call.  But teach young men to treat young women as ladies -- we're different, after all, and I for one hope it can stay that way.