FAIR News: Standing up for Sex-Based Civil Rights in Education
FAIR News: Standing up for Sex-Based Civil Rights in Education
Newsletter
Dear friends of FAIR,
This week, we submitted a comment in response to proposed changes to regulations based on Title IX of the Civil Rights Act posted by the U.S. Department of Education this past July. Title IX of the Civil Rights Act prohibits federally-funded educational institutions from discriminating “on the basis of sex”:
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of 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….
The Department’s proposed changes add self-determined “gender identity” as a protected trait for purposes of both sex discrimination and sex-based harassment; require schools and universities with sex-segregated facilities and activities to allow individuals to access activities and spaces that align with their gender identity, as opposed to their biological sex; and obligate school and university employees to report conduct that “may” constitute sex discrimination, with no requirement of a reasonable belief that the conduct rises to the level of prohibited sex discrimination.
While the authors note that the changes are intended “to provide an educational environment free from discrimination,” in reality they would undermine Title IX’s protections, and create a number of practical and philosophical issues for schools, parents, and students. For instance, educational institutions with sex-specific facilities or activities, which is virtually all of them, would be required to segregate students based on “gender identity” rather than biological sex. This would mean that any student, anywhere in the United States, who chooses to self-identify as a girl or woman, regardless of biological sex, must be placed on female sports teams, live in all-female housing, participate in female-only sex education classes, be eligible for school-sponsored scholarships reserved for females, and use communal locker rooms and other facilities designated for females.
FAIR’s position is simple: every person should be treated as a unique and intrinsically valuable individual; we should address topics such as gender with compassion and respect for all; and we should recognize the scientific reality of biological sex with respect to policies and provisions in schools and institutions. The decision of whether to segregate students based on sex or gender identity should be left to the democratic process, whether at the federal, state, or local level, and not mandated unilaterally by the executive branch of the federal government—which the proposed amendments to Title IX would in effect do. This is why we oppose these amendments, and have provided our own recommended changes that would help to ensure dignity and compassion for all—without undermining Title IX’s protections, and without relinquishing what we know about the scientific and practical realities of sex differences.
Yours,
Bion
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Bion Bartning
bion@fairforall.org
SECOND SESSION of the October FAIR Parent Education Series Workshops
Due to overwhelming demand, we are hosting a second session of our four-part workshop where we will share an overview of the current K-12 educational landscape, summarize key issues interfering with students’ civil rights, and train parents and guardians in effective, pro-human advocacy—including supporting children and teens in developing healthy attitudes around race and identity.
This four-part session will take place on October 3rd, 10th, 17th, & 24th from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET on each Monday evening. Registration is capped at 30 participants, so sign up now to secure your spot!
If you are interested but unable to attend these dates, we will be offering additional FAIR Parent Education Series in the future, so stay tuned!
FAIR Wellness Webinar Series
Join FAIR Advisor and licensed clinical social worker Zander Keig in an eight-week series of free Wellness Webinars covering the following topics:
Week 1/Week 5: Cultivating Mental Fitness
Week 2/Week 6: Styles of Conflict Management
Week 3/Week 7: Strengthening Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Week 4/Week 8: How To Form New Habits
Session are on Tuesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET beginning August 23rd.
What Can We Learn From Tuskegee? A Discussion on Pro-Human Medicine
Join FAIR in Medicine TONIGHT, September 8th at 7:00 p.m. ET for our free webinar "What Can We Learn From Tuskegee? A Discussion on Pro-Human Medicine," where we will reflect on how medicine’s mission to heal can end up doing harm.
We will also discuss Miss Evers’ Boys, a 1997 dramatization of the Tuskegee experiment as seen through the eyes of the lead research nurse, Eunice Rivers. The film won 5 Primetime Emmys and many other awards and nominations. It is currently available only on streaming service HBO Max, Max Go, and Hulu.
Moderated by FAIR in Medicine Fellow Dr. Mark Buchanan, and featuring panelists Dr. Marilyn Singleton, past-president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, whose passions include teaching constitutional law to non-lawyers; MD/PhD candidate Cullen Clairmont, who even early in his career has witnessed the corrupting effect of industry in medical research; and political scientist Dr. Wilfred Reilly, who writes widely on research methodology and on popular misunderstandings of race in America.
Forgiveness, Faith, & Race with Kimi Katiti
On September 13th, at 8:30 p.m. ET, join FAIR Advisor Kimi Katiti, along with FAIR’s Managing Director, Networks & Community Engagement Lory Warren, as they discuss the purpose and design of humanity from a Christian perspective, and explore what the Bible says about racism and the role of forgiveness in today’s polarizing times.
Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”
“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22
Kimi Katiti is an interdisciplinary artist living and creating in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. She offers distinctive insight on topics encompassing current affairs, race, and theology. She is a FAIR in the Arts Fellow and recently spoke at the Theology in the Raw "Exiles in Babylon" Conference in Boise, Idaho.
A Pro-Human Approach to Adolescent Gender Dysphoria, with Dr. Erica Anderson and Grace Lidinsky-Smith
Join FAIR in Medicine on Monday, September 19th at 5:00 p.m. ET for our webinar, "A Conversation With Dr. Erica Anderson and Grace Lidinsky-Smith: A Pro-Human Approach to Adolescent Gender Dysphoria."
Moderated by FAIR Senior Advisor Zander Keig, LCSW and featuring world renowned clinical psychologist specializing in gender dysphoria Dr. Erica Anderson, and detransitioner and patient advocate Grace Lidinsky-Smith.
Join us as we continue to explore the pro-human approach to transgender healthcare.
Registration is free and open to all!
Free Grassroots Training Opportunity: How to Be FAIR Without Starting a Fight
Do you want to share the message of FAIR with others but are worried that it may start a fight?
There is a better way: Empower yourself with the knowledge and skills to have better conversations, share FAIR’s pro-human message, and engage without risking your relationships.
Register today for this highly interactive live virtual training, happening on September 20th and October 25th!
Announcing the FAIR Legal Network Zoom Open House
FAIR’s legal team is excited to host our first Legal Network Open House on Wednesday, September 21st from 12:00 -1:00 p.m. ET.
Please join us to meet other attorneys in FAIR's legal network, hear more about the cases and matters we're currently working on, and explore future opportunities for collaboration!
FAIR Book Club: Mark Mathabane’s Kaffir Boy
FAIR Book Club is excited to host Fred Luskin as we round out our discussions about forgiveness and its important role in Mark Mathabane’s memoir, Kaffir Boy . Fred is the author of the book Forgive for Good and the director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project. Join us for a riveting talk on September 21st at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The FAIR in Education Fellows also invite you to our next book club meeting on October 26th. FAIR’s Book Club meets monthly with a goal to read books that challenge and deepen our understanding of humanity and fairness, while enriching our sense of what it means to be pro-human.
In October and November, we will be reading and discussing FAIR Advisor Ian Rowe’s new book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power.
We hope you will join us as we dig into the sage wisdom and advice offered in this phenomenal book.
FAIR in the Arts Virtual Meetups
Join our FAIR in the Arts team and FAIR in the Arts Fellows to meet other artists and creatives who share pro-human values and want to make a difference in their own communities.
Arts practitioners, advocates, and media professionals—anyone who wants to create a culture where artists and others are free to express themselves, and where we model pro-human values in arts and media institutions—are welcome.
Meetings will include updates on ongoing FAIR in the Arts initiatives, as well as facilitated discussion group sessions. Join us on the following dates:
September 20th with special guest, FAIR in the Arts Fellow Lincoln Jones:
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET
Counterweight Conference on Liberal Approaches to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
FAIR is proud to be sponsoring a four-day conference, hosted by Counterweight, which seeks to explore alternative approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
What would a liberal approach to diversity and inclusion look like? How can we tackle discrimination and racism through a unifying lens? Do these approaches already exist?
Throughout this online conference, you'll hear pre-recorded talks from experts in the field of D&I who can answer some of these questions.
The conference begins September 22nd at 9:00 a.m. ET with an opening keynote from FAIR Director of Messaging & Editorial Angel Eduardo, and will feature talks by FAIR Advisors Zander Keig, Erec Smith, Ian Rowe, Sheena Mason, Greg Thomas, and many others!
Centering Love and Inclusion in our Equity Work and Practice Workshop with Dr. Sheena Mason
Join FAIR Advisor Dr. Sheena Mason at Foothill College on September 21st from 1:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. PT in Los Altos Hills, California for a FLEX Workshop, presented by De Anza College’s Office of Equity, Social Justice, and Multicultural Education. Sheena will bring her Theory of Racelessness and unique approach to addressing issues of racism in our institutions.
This in-person workshop is free and open to all. Visit the site for more details.
Resolving the Race(ism) Dilemma Conference
On September 24th in Lexington, Massachusetts, join FAIR Advisors Dr. Sheena Mason and Greg Thomas, along with Dr. Carlos Hoyt, for a day-long conference designed for everyone interested in overcoming racism—teachers, parents, scientists, scholars, social justice leaders, mental health professionals, journalists, and political leaders.
FAIR is proud to sponsor this important event. Learn how racialization produces the illusion of “race” and racism, how to deracialize your worldview, practice antiracialization, and recognize the racelessness of the human species. Explore methods of translating the misleading language of “race” into the actual issues that drive discrimination and oppression. Build connections with others who are eager to not only understand how to move beyond racism but take meaningful action, and consider joining an effort to improve our government's approach to addressing race-based discrimination—one that does not require perpetuating self-racialization.
Pro-Human Tour Stop: Evanston, Illinois
Join FAIR’s Founder and President Bion Bartning along with FAIR Advisors Daryl Davis, Monica Harris, and Jason Hill for an evening of music and conversation about FAIR’s pro-human approach to addressing social issues and uniting our communities.
The event will also feature music by Daryl Davis, FAIR in Medicine Fellow Robert Graboyes, and Nashville musician and Chicago native Madeline Kelsen.
This event will take place on October 18th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. CT. Registration is now open.
Please email us at gavin.coon@fairforall.org if you have any questions.
Submit Questions for an Upcoming FAIR Perspectives Q&A Episode!
Do you have a burning question you’d like to ask FAIR Perspectives hosts Melissa Chen and Angel Eduardo? Submit it for an upcoming Q&A episode of FAIR Perspectives!
We want to give you the opportunity to ask questions about FAIR, the pro-human movement, the podcast, and more.
Send us a question via comment on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, FAIR Community, or in a reply to this email!
FAIR News Podcast
For audio versions of our FAIR News and FAIR Weekly Roundup newsletters, subscribe and listen to FAIR News Weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or via RSS feed.
Angel Eduardo: We Must Argue From Compassion
For FAIR’s YouTube channel, FAIR’s Director of Messaging & Editorial Angel Eduardo discusses the ways our discourse has strained, his concept of star-manning, and how arguing from compassion can help us have better and more productive conversations with others—even those we disagree with most.
So many of the wonderful things we have accomplished as a species have been the result of successful communication. If we’re to continue to make progress, we need to actively foster a culture of good faith and honesty, based on the knowledge that we all have the same fundamental desires. It begins with each of us making the choice to see the other as human—flawed, perhaps ignorant, maybe even dangerous, but also human—no matter what they think.
FAIR Diversity Trainings
FAIR Diversity Conversation Series
For all FAIR Members and volunteers. These events are typically held on the first Monday of each month from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET.
Register on Calendly to tune into the next one!
Meet FAIR Diversity: What Is Pro-Human? Meetings
For all FAIR Members and volunteers. These events are typically held on the last Monday of each month from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET.
Register on Calendly to join the next conversation!
FAIR Chapter Events
Chapter Events
September 10th:
FAIR Twin Cities Chapter IN-PERSON Grassroots Leadership Training
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT
Golden Valley, MN
Join the FAIR Community
Become a FAIR volunteer or join a FAIR chapter:
Join a Welcome to FAIR Zoom information session to learn more about our mission, or watch a previously recorded session in the Members section of www.fairforall.org.
Take the Pro-Human Pledge and help promote a common culture based on fairness, understanding, and humanity.
Join the FAIR community to connect and share information with other members.
Share your reviews and incident reports on our FAIR Transparency website.
Placing the feelings of men as more valuable and deserving of legal protection than immutable biological reality for women is misogynistic and cruel. It’s also as old as time - cruel men and cruel misogynistic regimes throughout history have always found some “moral” justification to hurt actual women. The Taliban uses morality to justify demanding women cover their faces. Pick an ancient culture that treated women as second class citizens and you’ll always find a faux morality narrative being used to justify it. The words change, the harm to women and girls remains constant by these people - to them actual women are second class citizens and always will be.
An easier solution is to call these policies out for the misogyny they are and encourage people to stop voting for misogynists (which at the moment is basically every Democrat in a position power).
FAIR's comment was very insightful and well researched. Part III of the comment aligned closely with a takeaway I had when reading the proposed rule. FAIR explained well how a theoretically infinite variety of gender identities would require equally as many facilities under the proposed requirement in Section 106.31(a)(2). In my analysis, I found that the new requirement would also be unworkable even in two-gender framework. I further found that it would fail to minimize aggregate harm. A copy of my comment is here: https://www.facebook.com/edbreysf/posts/pfbid0XGM9rxhSibx9CAGoLPn1wfGpTe13YpP25cWUEDX8GctuUkLNGNpFd5wGmYG9yMqsl