Biden Hits Home Run on Order Protecting Transgender Youth

On the first day in the office for any new President, it consists of executive orders that usually reverse some course of action from the previous administration.

Joe Biden followed that tradition this week with a bunch of executive orders on his first day as the President of the United States.

Of those executive orders, some of them I agree with, others I don't, but one of them that made me smile and warm my heart was the executive order adding LGBTQ protections.

It is already ridiculous that adults in the country have to deal with discrimination because of how they were born and who they fall in love with, but when it starts to trickle down to kids, it takes on a whole different level of repulsive behavior.

Most of the angst comes from fear of the unknown and that can be something that dialogue and experiences ultimately work side by side to inform and change the ignorance.

Additionally, hate is a big part of the ongoing assault on the LGBTQ community and legislative measures are a good way to counteract that reprehensible hate.

Although the executive order does have broad power and calls on all federal agencies to enforce the US Supreme Court decision from last year, there is an athletic dynamic as well.

In that ruling, specifically, it explains how the expanded definition of sex discrimination now includes discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, which it should have had included from the start.

Within the order, the administration addresses high school and college sports as it pertains to transgender kids.

“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports" the order states.

It goes on to discuss the goal is to "prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation”.

Thankfully, the executive order details out very specific requirements that transgender kids will not be discriminated against and paves the way for them to participate in gender sport based on their identity and how they live their everyday life.

This has to be such a welcomed relief for administrators, coaches, parents, and participants that there is now a nondiscriminatory policy in place moving forward.

According to South Dakota Public Broadcasting, a poll that was conducted in 2019 showed 80% of the member institutions in the state-supported the current plan which allows "students who want to participate in a sport as a gender other than that assigned at birth have to get permission through the South Dakota High School Activities Association."

There will always be the naysayers that say a competitive advantage is breached and Title IX needs to be thrown out.

To them, I say show me the proof where there has been rampant misuse of the guidelines where dozens of athletes have claimed a certain gender identity to solely excel in sports.

We will all be waiting a long time for them to respond because it simply has not happened and it won't at the rate any critic currently claims.

To think that someone who knows how hard it is to walk in society even today as a member of the LGBTQ community much less as a transgender kid, would choose to do that and take the backlash in order to gain a competitive advantage and win a trophy is laughable.

I have three kids right now all under the age of six, I have no idea who they will marry, I'm not sure if they will be transgender, I have no clue, but I am so glad that this is in place so no matter what, they will be protected along with so many other kids in the future.