Winning the Battle Against Gender Ideology
For over a decade, Alliance Defending Freedom has been a leader in the effort to defeat the radical gender ideology that is infiltrating our society and creating countless victims, especially children and women.
ADF has been outspoken on the topic and continues to be active in the courtroom and in statehouses across the country. We stood up to the lies of gender ideology before it was part of the national conversation and will continue to represent those harmed while we work alongside victims and the growing ranks of this alliance until victory is won.
Women and girls deserve fair and safe competition on the field and private spaces that respect and uphold their dignity. Title IX was written to promote opportunity for women and girls—not to allow males to invade their private spaces and sports, as previous administrations have pushed.
The changes being made by the Trump administration are welcome and should be commended. But the fight against gender ideology is far from over. ADF is committed to seeing it through to the end. We need permanent change, including action on the issue from Congress and a decisive word from the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure future administrations do not reverse the gains we have made. Simply put, we must ensure that our laws and culture reflect fundamental fairness and safety for all Americans.
Timeline of ADF’s Work Battling Gender Ideology
2014
Aprilsports_and_outdoorslock
Obama administration issues Q&A document, interpreting sex discrimination in Title IX to include “gender identity.”
Maylockgavel
ADF begins to send model policy to schools, protecting the privacy of female students.
2015
Octoberlockgavel
ADF sends letter to Illinois school district affirming its decision to respect student privacy rights. The letter provides a suggested policy that addresses any concerns about discrimination without allowing the sharing of restrooms and locker rooms.
2016
Maylock
ADF files two separate lawsuits in Illinois and North Carolina to stop an Obama administration effort to reinterpret Title IX to allow males to access women’s restrooms and locker rooms in public schools.
Maylock
Texas and multiple other states file a lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s directive to public schools that would force students of the opposite sex to share rooms on overnight school trips and undress in the same locker room.
Junelock
With help from ADF attorneys, Ohio school district sues the federal government for demanding that students have access to opposite-sex locker rooms. A similar case is filed in September in Minnesota.
2017
Februarysports_and_outdoorslock
Trump administration withdraws Obama-era directive that misrepresented Title IX and required public schools to allow males to access women’s private spaces.
Marchlock
Four students file a lawsuit against Boyertown Area School District, which intentionally violated the bodily privacy rights of students by exposing them, involuntarily, to members of the opposite sex within private facilities like locker rooms and restrooms.
Octoberlock
A federal district court’s ruling in State of Texas v. United States of America stops an Obama-era order from forcing public schools to allow boys into girls’ locker rooms, showers, and restrooms while the lawsuit of several states moves forward.
2018
Januarylock
A state court grants the request of an association of concerned students and parents, represented by ADF, to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU that threatened the privacy of thousands of Illinois students.
Julysports_and_outdoors
ADF actively explores legal options to protect fairness in women’s sports.
2019
Maylock
U.S. Supreme Court declines to weigh in on whether Pennsylvania schools can allow violation of students’ bodily privacy.
Junesports_and_outdoors
ADF files a federal Title IX administrative complaint on behalf of Connecticut high school track athletes Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, and Alanna Smith.
2020
Februarysports_and_outdoors
ADF files Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) on behalf of Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, and Alanna Smith — the first federal lawsuit in the nation under Title IX to protect women’s sports from male athletes.
Marchsports_and_outdoorsgavel
Idaho becomes the first state to pass ADF’s Save Women’s Sports legislation. By the end of 2024, 25 states will have enacted women’s sports laws, most of which are modeled on ADF’s language.
Maysports_and_outdoors
ADF moves to intervene in Hecox v. Little on behalf of two female athletes (which the court grants three months later) in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU against Idaho’s new Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
2021
Aprilsports_and_outdoors
After a 14-month delay, Connecticut federal district court dismisses Soule v. CAS. ADF appeals that ruling to the 2nd Circuit.
Maylockgavel
Tennessee passes law protecting privacy in school restrooms, locker rooms, and other private spaces. By the end of 2024, 14 states enact laws protecting women’s privacy.
Junelockgavel
Biden administration issues guidance documents, reinterpreting Title IX to include gender identity, requiring public schools to allow males in women’s sports, locker rooms, and other private spaces.
Septembersports_and_outdoors
ADF files request to intervene (which is granted five months later) on behalf of collegiate soccer player Lainey Armistead in B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education, an ACLU lawsuit against West Virginia’s women’s sports law.
Octobersports_and_outdoorslock
ADF files request to intervene (which is later granted) on behalf of the Association of Christian Schools International and three female athletes in The State of Tennessee v. U.S. Department of Education, a lawsuit brought by 20 states against Biden administration efforts to use guidance documents to reinterpret Title IX to allow males in women’s sports and private spaces.
Decembersports_and_outdoorsgavel
Eight more states (AR, FL, MS, MT, WV, TN, AL, TX) pass women’s sports laws in 2021. ADF helped legislators in crafting many of these laws
2022
Marchsports_and_outdoors
Male swimmer Lia Thomas wins NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle championship.
Junesports_and_outdoors
ADF attorneys and clients celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Selina Soule is featured in The Daily Wire’s groundbreaking documentary “What Is a Woman?”
Julysports_and_outdoors
Tennessee district court in The State of Tennessee v. U.S. Department of Education temporarily stops the Biden administration’s attempt to use guidance documents to reinterpret Title IX to include gender identity in 20 states.
Decembersports_and_outdoorslockgavel
The 2nd Circuit in Soule v. CAS affirms the district court’s dismissal, stating that the female athletes’ lost records and opportunities did not matter. This year, two more states (AL, OK) pass laws protecting women’s privacy, and eight states (SD, IA, UT, OK, AZ, KY, IN, LA) join the effort to protect women’s sports by passing new laws.
2023
Januarysports_and_outdoors
The West Virginia district court grants summary judgment to ADF and its co-defendants in B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education, finding that West Virginia’s women’s sports law is constitutional and consistent with Title IX.
Februarysports_and_outdoorsgavel
ADF attorneys brief congressional staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce on Title IX, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, and the current policy landscape of women’s sports.
Marchsports_and_outdoors
ADF attorneys bring first case over protection of women’s sports to U.S. Supreme Court. The Court leaves in place a temporary injunction preventing West Virginia from fully enforcing its women’s sports law while the case continued.
Aprilsports_and_outdoorsgavel
ADF attorneys argue before the 6th Circuit in The State of Tennessee v. U.S. Department of Education, asking the court to affirm the district court’s injunction against the Biden administration’s reinterpretation of Title IX.
Junesports_and_outdoorsgavel
ADF attorneys argue before a full 15-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit in Soule v. CAS that the case should be allowed to move forward. Also, ADF attorneys testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about the harm caused to women and girls by allowing males into women’s sports.
Novembersports_and_outdoors
A federal district court upholds Florida’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. ADF attorneys, representing a former female collegiate athlete, file a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Florida’s case.
Decembersports_and_outdoorslockgavel
Six more states (AR, IA, ID, KY, ND, FL) pass women’s privacy laws and six (MO, KS, NC, ND, SC, WY) pass women’s sports laws in 2023.
2024
Aprilsports_and_outdoorslock
The Biden administration’s Department of Education issues a new administrative rule, attempting to rewrite Title IX and redefine the word “sex” to include “gender identity.” In one of the first of several legal actions, ADF attorneys immediately sue the administration on behalf of a Louisiana school district.
Maysports_and_outdoorslock
ADF attorneys take action in four more cases alongside numerous states and student and parent groups, all challenging the Biden administration’s attempted Title IX rewrite. ADF clients include:
- Adaleia Cross, a West Virginia athlete and an organization representing Christian teachers
- A Texas school district representing approximately 8,400 students
- Katie Rowland, a 13-year-old student, and Female Athletes United, an organization made up of female athletes devoted to protecting women’s sports
Junesports_and_outdoorslock
Alongside Tennessee and Louisiana, ADF secures a pair of victories with two district courts putting a temporary hold on the Biden administration’s administrative rule attempting to rewrite Title IX. Meanwhile, the 6th Circuit in The State of Tennessee v. U.S. Department of Education affirms that Biden administration guidance documents unlawfully tried to make Title IX include “gender identity.”
Julysports_and_outdoorslockgavel
Three more courts take action to halt the Biden administrative rule on Title IX. ADF attorneys go five-for-five in preventing the new Title IX rule from taking effect while these cases progress.
ADF appeals a pair of cases defending women’s sports laws in Idaho and West Virginia to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire becomes the 25th state to pass legislation protecting women’s sports.
Augustsports_and_outdoorslock
U.S. Supreme Court upholds temporary injunctions won by ADF, Tennessee, and Louisiana, putting pause on Biden administration’s unlawful attempt to rewrite Title IX.
Octobersports_and_outdoorslock
The United Nations publicizes a report revealing that female athletes have lost nearly 900 medal opportunities to male athletes. At a special UN event, ADF attorneys and client Lainey Armistead speak in favor of protecting women’s sports.
Novembersports_and_outdoors
Federal district court allows case of four Connecticut female athletes, including Selina Soule, to continue. The case challenges a state athletic association policy that allows males to compete in women’s high school sports as a violation of Title IX.
Decembersports_and_outdoorslockgavel
Five more states (UT, MI, LA, SC, OH) pass laws protecting privacy for women and girls, and two states (OH, NH) pass women’s sports laws, bringing the totals to 14 and 25, respectively.
2025
Januarysports_and_outdoorslockgavel
In a significant victory for women and girls, a federal court rejects Biden administration’s rule trying to redefine ‘sex’ in Title IX and wipes away that rule nationwide.
On Day 1, the Trump administration issues executive order that begins to dismantle gender ideology’s impact on the federal government. The Department of Education follows up later in the month with a “Dear Colleague” letter explicitly rejecting the Biden administration’s unlawful attempt to change the meaning of “sex” in Title IX, citing ADF’s nationwide court victory earlier in the month.
Februarysports_and_outdoorslockgavel
On the 39th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, President Trump issues executive order to protect women’s sports and locker rooms. ADF CEO, President, and General Counsel Kristen Waggoner attends White House ceremony.