The misinterpretation of Title IX with respect to student gender quotas in university engineering departments on Joanne Jacobs’ blog yesterday received a bit of discussion Saturday on Twitter. Jason said, in reference to the post,
and then Bryan said
Jason replied, and @druinok responded:
A little later, this tweet popped into the conversation.
I squinted at the name, searched my Olympic-fan brain, and did a quick search to confirm. Yes, this is THE Nancy Hogshead-Makar, now a professor of law and Senior Director of Advocacy at the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Oh. That makes sense. I wasn’t sure she’d read the blog post that started this whole thing, and asked.
A few hours later, after finishing a bike ride (no, I did not ride the Seattle-to-Portland. I rode only about 30 miles), Nancy tweeted me back that no, indeed, she’d missed the article. I re-sent it. A bit later, Nancy declared, “Jacobs doesn’t know what she’s talking about. quotas impossible 4 gender-blind admissions. Sports r sex-segregated, by contrast.”
Nancy sent me this article: Five Myths about Title IX. (I’m not sure if she didn’t realize I had already recognized her as an Olympic gold medalist, or if it simply didn’t matter. She proceeded to teach me a great deal I didn’t know about Title IX, but she never made a point of telling me who she is. Her goal was to help me learn. Wow, again.) If you believe that men’s sports are cut from athletics programs because there isn’t the same offering for women, you must read this article. If you think that men’s athletic programs always support women’s programs, you must read this article.
After a bit more discussion, Nancy sent me this link: Senate HELP Examines Impact of Title IX . I watched all 1 hour, 43 minutes, 17 seconds. I watched testimony from Billie Jean King (you probably know who she is), Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Mae Carol Jemison, physician and retired NASA astronaut (Dr. Jemison’s version, abridged for PBS, is here); and Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz, superintendent, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn. Title IX was enacted while I was a senior in high school. I’m disappointed in myself for not being a stronger advocate for myself. I wonder where I might be now if I had. I cannot begin to thank these four women and those who worked alongside them in advocating athletics and physical education for all. It’s not about gender. It’s about all of us; to make it not so would be unconstitutional.
Well, now I’m number 205–and this was well worth the trip.
I liked it so much I’m subscribing.