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Reflecting on the Anniversary of Title IX
So, I almost missed it, but today is the 48th anniversary of Title IX. Which we’ve been hearing a lot about lately, although often in contexts (and lack of contexts) that might not make it clear as to what it is.
It’s also something younger people take for granted. So, what exactly is Title IX, really, and why is it important?
What is Title IX?
The actual law passed in 1972 was the Education Amendments of 1972. It’s best known for Title IX, but it also improved financial aid programs and extended the Equal Pay Act to certain professionals.
Title IX reads the following:
No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
This means that publicly funded schools, including universities, can’t discriminate based on sex. It was actually put in to close a loophole in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
But even at the time it was controversial. A guy named John Tower tried to exclude athletic departments. Not surprising that he was from Texas (no offense to the decent Texans out there, but your state, sometimes…) The goal was to deny funding to…