Title IX's 50th anniversary: Debate over transgender athletes rages

Donna de Varona reacts to the world governing body for swimming restricting transgender swimmers from women's events on 'America Reports.'

The emergence of transgender athletes in sports has created debate over whether a transgender woman or girl has a competitive advantage over a biological woman or girl.

With Thursday marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the discourse is only getting hotter.

The Biden administration wants transgender athletes to enjoy the same protections Title IX originally afforded women when it passed five decades ago. At that point in 1972, the debate about transgender athletes was many years away.

The debate comes down to advocates wanting to protect the space already established by Title IX legislation for biological women and those who want to compete as females to enjoy the same protections as anyone else.

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Jennifer Braceras, director of the Independent Women's Law Center, pointed to the wording of Title IX itself. She told Fox News Digital the statute makes clear that "single-sex sports are allowed." She argued that any time a transgender women is allowed to compete against biological women and takes a spot away from a woman, a violation of the law has occurred.

Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand competes in the women's weightlifting event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

"Title IX protects single-sex sports, and any time you allow a male athlete to take a sport away from a female athlete, you are a school that is violating Title IX," Braceras said.

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard and University of Penn swimmer Lia Thomas sparked the debate over the last year about transgender women competing