Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is leading a coalition of almost two dozen Republican lawmakers urging the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to update its rules and prohibit the participation of biological men in women's sports, Blackburn's office announced Tuesday.
The letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker condemned the organization's lack of effort in protecting women from the intrusion of biological males and asked that they update their "student-athlete policy" amid an "unprecedented assault on Title IX."
"The science is clear. Males have inherent athletic advantages over females due to their anatomy and biology — including through having larger hearts, higher red blood count, greater lung capacity, longer endurance, larger muscle mass, differences in bone density and geometry, and lower body fat," Blackburn's statement read.
Blackburn's letter comes at the height of the Olympic controversy surrounding boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting whose reported XY chromosomes and elevated levels of testosterone and had them banned by a boxing authority but permitted to compete in the Olympics by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
Both fighters were disqualified from last year's World Championships, despite controversy surrounding how the tests were weighed and administered.
"While men may have inherent athletic advantages, they have no advantage over women in their level of passion, drive, or desire to compete," Blackburn's letter continued. "The very bedrock of sport is the exhibition of a commitment to excellence, grace under pressure, and fair play among competitors — all of which is threatened absent an even playing field.
"Women deserve that even playing field and chance to compete, one that can only be achieved by ensuring that only females compete in women's sports. We urge you to follow the lead of the NAIA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport and adopt policies that protect women's sports."
Blackburn's letter was endorsed by 12x NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, Concerned Women for America, Heritage Action, Independent Women's Forum, among others.
Notable Republican co-signers include Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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