From the Editors: Title IX reminds us we are all Titans

Title IX of the Education Amendments was signed into law 50 years ago, in 1972, greatly altering the way sports operated nationally, including at Algonquin. Its aim was to ban sex-based discrimination in sports and set a precedent for gender equality in athletics. We encourage students and community members to reflect on its positive impacts as a way to remember and honor this historic legislation while also identifying progress that still needs to be made for all people, regardless of gender, to participate in sports and be equally supported by fans.

In perhaps its most well-known effect, Title IX gave women more opportunities in sports from high school to the professional level. These opportunities transformed athletics, as well as creating the lasting outcome of increased participation in previously underrepresented female sports. And while Title IX certainly focuses on women in sports, the act has also been used in recent years to advocate for transgender student athletes, as recently declared by the U.S. Department of Education.

But Title IX did not just affect sports; its impacts affect federally-funded curricular and extracurricular activities as well. It increased education opportunities, to the extent that women now account for nearly 60 percent of enrolled students at college as compared with the 43 percent of college students being women 50 years ago. In the context of the 1970s when the act was passed, it was common for girls to attend home economics class while the boys were sent to shop class. However, the passing of Title IX prevents gender bias in other school programs not explicitly listed in the legislation. We should no longer think of such activities as gender-specific, but rather embrace the opportunities for us to be thought of as individuals despite differences in sex and take any classes or do any activities we are interested in.

Most importantly, Title IX provides equal possibilities for both genders, despite being commonly depicted as a law solely affecting women. That being said, we can view this act as a means of appreciating and supporting each and every individual at Algonquin, regardless of gender. As we transition to the winter sports season, we urge you to support both girls’ and boys’ sports, and to attend games whenever possible.