Last February, the national media were fixated on Iowa high-school wrestler Joel Northrup and his decision to forfeit a match in the state tournament rather than wrestle a female contender, Cassy Herkelman, based on his religious beliefs. CBS put this caption on screen: "Chivalry or Chauvinism?" ESPN's Rick Reilly mocked the religious conviction: "If my God told me to poke the elderly with sharp sticks, would that make it morally acceptable to others?”
If the media are really equal-opportunity gender blenders, then perhaps they would impose their outrage on Michigan, where the tables were turned. Gil Imber at The Bleacher Report is underlining that a cheerleading team was disqualified at a recent meet in Port Huron, Michigan for having a male on the squad, under rules designed to promote diversity in athletic competition:
A high school cheerleading squad with hopes of placing in a recent statewide competition was disqualified when the contest ended in the lakeside city of Port Huron, Michigan. The team's lone infraction? One of the team members is a boy.
As initially reported by ABC affiliate WXYZ, the Lakeview High cheerleaders were formally disqualified only after the competition had concluded. They received no final score—only a "DQ"...
Despite Lakeview High's widespread support for [Brandon] Urbas' endeavor, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) disqualified Lakeview High's cheerleaders for violating an association rule—a rule the MHSAA indicated they were not willing to change.
The MHSAA oversees just about every high school sporting event played in the state of Michigan—from bowling to skiing, it all falls under the jurisdiction of the MHSAA and its rules.
One MHSAA's rule bars males from participating on teams which generally include only females. When asked for comment, the MHSAA issued the following statement:
Boys may not participate on a girls team in MHSAA sponsored postseason meets and tournaments. Schools have adopted this position to preserve participation opportunities for the historically underrepresented gender.
In other words, girls are not prohibited from participating on boys' teams, but boys are forbidden from participating on girls' teams.
Are girls "historically underrepresented" in cheerleading?? Imber continued:
In even simpler terms, the MHSAA is imposing a double standard because of a historical trend of underrepresentation.
The question then becomes, is this a fair rule or is this a case of unconstitutional or otherwise illegal discrimination?
Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments specifies that "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in...any educational program or activity."
