"Progress is never permanent, will always be threatened, must be redoubled, restated, and reimagined if it is to survive."
- Zadie Smith
PROGRESS
Until just three months before I was born, states were allowed to ban interracial couples from marrying. In the decades since, ancient taboos have fallen away, allowing people who fall in love with someone of the same gender to marry legally.
This wave of social progress has reshaped the role of women in American life. No longer expected to be subservient homemakers, women have climbed to the highest reaches of power, including the office of the Vice President. Though they did not win the presidency, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris cracked the glass ceiling, helping pave the way for what will eventually be the first female president.
In sports, women athletes have made significant strides toward parity with their male counterparts, largely due to Title IX. With schools forced to fund programs equally, female athletes have greater opportunities to showcase their talents.
The WNBA will celebrate its 30th season this year. Female members of the national women's soccer team are more firmly ingrained in American culture than their male counterparts. Now in its third season, the Women's Professional Hockey League has expanded by two teams, including the Seattle Torrent.
RETRENCHMENT
The ascent of Trump is in many ways a reaction to this progress. The disruption of the status quo has been a threat to those with privilege, and many will do anything possible to keep what they have left. The easiest way to do that is to convince other victims of economic inequity that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is to blame for their struggles, redirecting anger away from entrenched power and toward those fighting for a share of it.
Using presidential powers, both real and imagined, Trump has systematically dismantled programs implemented during the past six decades to bring us closer to the promise that "all men are created equal". Colleges have been pressured to end programs designed to give all deserving students an opportunity for higher education, even as economic barriers to entry continue to rise. The National Park Service has removed exhibits that were critical of the ownership of slaves.
The Justice Department has distorted civil rights laws to investigate imagined discrimination against white, straight, Christian men and punish programs inclusive of the trans community.
Trump's appointments to the Supreme Court during his first term had already set up the eventual rollback of the rights of women to control when and if they would procreate. The subsequent overturn of Roe v. Wade has left women in many states with virtually no access to abortion services. As part of his concurring opinion on Dobbs, Justice Clarence Thomas also urged the Court to reconsider Griswold v. Connecticut, the 1965 ruling that prevented states from outlawing contraception.
Cuts to the Department of Education, which is responsible for ensuring equal athletic opportunities for women, threaten to narrow Title IX protections. With less accountability, women's sports programs may face fewer resources, reducing opportunities for female athletes. Additional disruptions are also likely due to Trump's focus on transgender athletes, who represent somewhere less than 0.01% of all NCAA competitors, a fixation that has caused legal confusion for those administering these programs.
HOPE
My eldest daughter" played baseball with the boys until just before she started high school. Competing against boys who were physically stronger than her built up an intensity that served her well when she was forced to transition to girls' softball. It also had a positive effect on her self-esteem, which has benefited her to this day.
The memories from days spent cheering on my daughter came flooding back while attending a Torrent game last weekend. The atmosphere felt celebratory as I entered the Climate Pledge Arena. Particularly noticeable was the large number of dads attending with their daughters. Many groups of girls appeared to be from youth teams, there to soak in the inspiration of women athletes competing in one of the most physical team sports.
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