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ADF to Biden: Female athletes deserve equal opportunity

Monday, May 15, 2023

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding a formal comment ADF attorneys submitted Monday urging the Biden administration to withdraw its proposed rule change to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that would allow males to compete on female sports teams, depriving women and girls of equal athletic opportunities:

“The Biden administration’s proposed sports rule is a slap in the face to female athletes who deserve an equal opportunity to compete on the playing field. The proposed rule degrades women and tells them that their athletic goals and placements don’t matter. When society and the law try to ignore reality, people get hurt. And, in sports, Congress recognized long ago that it’s women and girls who pay the price. Males competing in women’s sports have already displaced female athletes like Selina Soule, Riley Gaines, Madison Kenyon, Mary Kate Marshall, and Chelsea Mitchell. Countless other women and girls across the country have lost championships, qualifying points, placements, and the opportunity to compete. Their efforts and the harm they have suffered have been completely ignored. We urge the Biden administration to swiftly withdraw its proposed sports rule, which, if implemented, will have devastating consequences on the future of women’s sports.”

ADF is defending female athletes in several lawsuits and working with states to uphold their laws protecting women’s sports:

  • Pronunciation guide: Kiefer (KEE’-fer)

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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ABOUT Christiana Kiefer

Christiana Kiefer serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where she is a key member of the Center for Conscience Initiatives. Since joining ADF in 2012, Kiefer has worked to protect women's and girls' sports and has defended the bodily privacy rights of students. She has also worked to protect the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian schools, and Christian ministries to exercise their faith without government interference. Kiefer earned her J.D. in 2010 from Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, where she graduated first in her class and served as a teaching assistant in criminal law. Also in 2010, Kiefer completed the ADF leadership development program to become a Blackstone Fellow. She is admitted to the state bar of California, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.