Women’s History Month just ended. Is the United States any closer to knowing what a woman is?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued new guidance that couldn’t have been imagined just a few years ago. HHS issued a policy that recognizes two sexes, and defines sex as a person's "immutable biological classification."
The government of the United States, via HHS, declared that females are people "of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing eggs (ova)," and males are people "of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing sperm."
Somehow there is confusion about what a woman is at the highest levels, but President Donald Trump is clear minded on the issue.
During a recent press event at the White House, President Trump was asked for his definition of a "woman," and why it’s important to have two genders.
"Well, it's sort of easy to answer for me, because a woman is somebody that can have a baby, under certain circumstances," Trump said. "She has a quality - A woman is a person who is much smarter than a man, I've always found. A woman is a person that doesn't give a man even a chance of success.
Trump continued, "A woman is a person that, in many cases, has been treated very badly. Because I think what happens with this crazy issue of men being able to play in women's sport is just ridiculous, and very unfair to women, and very demeaning to women."
Others are confused, or portray confusion, on the question - What is a woman?
During her confirmation hearing to become a Supreme Court Judge, Ketanji Brown Jackson infamously said when asked by Sen. Marsha Blackburn what a woman was, “I am not a biologist”.
The confusion is not just in the halls of justice or politics. The ideology has leaked into schools and sports fields as well.
In American schools and universities, males are widely not just allowed, but encouraged to compete against women in sports taking scholarships and awards away from female athletes. The case of male swimmer Leah Thomas is well known. He went from being 462nd as a male swimmer to #1 as a trans-woman (aka female) swimmer. This is directly against the intent of Title IX that is meant to protect women and girls in sports and women’s spaces.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order that bans biologically male transgender women from competing against biological women.
Some states and athletic bodies have changed their tune and complied with the Executive Order, and basic common sense and reality of biology, and some have not.
This issue is also being fought close to home here in Suffolk County. William Floyd High School has a male athlete on the female track team. Police escorts are in place and protests happening as parents seek to protect their girl athletes.
The South Shore Press is closely following this story and providing updates as they happen on the ground.