Last month, the U.S. House passed the so-called "Equality Act", which has been presented as a bill that broadens protections against discrimination. However, the bill does the exact opposite by "forcing Americans to conform to government-mandated beliefs under the threat of life-ruining financial and criminal penalties." Especially during Women's History Month, the bill's provisions concerning the rights of women should be exposed for what they actually are.

First, the Equality Act radically alters existing Title IX protections for women in sports:

The Equality Act’s changes to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act do not uphold Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments Act. Gender-identity policies will require biological males to be permitted to participate in female-only activities. In sports, the physical bodies of biological males (even after two years on estrogen) put them at an obvious unfair advantage over female athletes, who are losing out on opportunities and scholarships designed for girls and women. Three brave female high school athletes in Connecticut are suing the state because two boys who identify as girls defeated them in track and field and demolished the state records held by 15 other girls.

‼️ URGENT

This week, the House passed the dangerous, life-altering Equality Act.

The Senate is taking it up soon, so it is CRITICAL that you let us know how the Equality Act will affect you. #SaveWomensSports #FemaleAthletes #SaveGirlsSports https://t.co/wRwhvMXPXR

— Independent Women's Forum (@IWF) March 1, 2021

Furthermore, the Equality Act threatens safety and privacy in sex-specific spaces:

All single-sex spaces will be open to both sexes under the Equality Act. The Equality Act adds sexual orientation and gender identity rules to Title III of the Civil Rights Act on “public facilities” as well as to public accommodations (Title II) and federal funding (Title VI). This would create a nationwide transgender policy in single-sex facilities. It would affect everything from girls’ and women’s showers and locker rooms to women’s shelters and women’s prisons, endangering safety and diminishing privacy. Giving people blanket permission to enter private spaces for the opposite sex enables sexual predators to exploit the rule and gain easy access to victims.

For a full breakdown of the other major issues with the Equality Act, read The Heritage Foundation's "11 Myths About H.R. 5, the Equality Act of 2021."

Proponents of the Act argue that these concerns are overblown. However, cases taken on by organizations such as the Alliance Defending Freedom illustrate that the fears about protecting women's rights are very real.

To learn more about how the Equality Act threatens women, RNLA will be hosting a webinar featuring the Independent Women's Forum's Inez Feltscher Stepman and The Heritage Foundation's Emilie Kao on Friday at 2:00 p.m. ET. Register here today!