Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was in Little Rock this afternoon and spoke before an Executive Order signing ceremony on Title IX. The order is designed to strengthen the state’s stance on sexual orientation in athletics. The new EO would force institutions in the state to follow current Arkansas law and not any new changes to Title IX that are being proposed by the federal government. Changes to Title IX are being challenged in court by Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Virginia. The lawsuits are the first to challenge the new rules which would expand protections to LGBTQ+ students and add safeguards for victims of sexual abuse. The changes are set to go into effect in August. Title IX went into effect in 1972 and this is the first attempt at making changes to the landmark legislation. States say it will clash with their own laws, like the one inacted in Arkansas, which restricts which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students can use, and banning them from using facilities that align with their gender indentity. The US Education Department is citing a 2020 Supreme Court case protecting gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment.
