Education Department Secretary Nominee Miguel Cardona Supports Schools Permitting Biological Males in Girls Sports

TUPELO, Miss. — Last week, when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) questioned President Biden’s nominee for Education Department Secretary, Miguel Cardona, on whether or not he supports “boys running in girls track meets,” Cardona responded with the following statements: “If confirmed, it’s my responsibility and privilege to make sure that we are following the civil rights of all students, and that includes activities that they may engage in in high school or in athletics … I think that it is critically important that education systems and educators respect the rights of all students, including students who are transgender, and that they are afforded the opportunities that every other student has to participate in extracurricular activities.”

 Sen. Rand Paul asked Cardona if it bothered him that “girls are being pushed out” of their own sports, telling Cardona that allowing biological males in girls’ sports would “completely destroy girls athletics.” Cardona said, “I recognize and appreciate the concerns and frustrations that are expressed,” adding that he has had conversations with families who felt similarly to Paul. “I think it’s the legal responsibility of schools to provide opportunities for students to participate in activities, and this includes students who are transgender,” Cardona said.

 “People like Miguel Cardona are sexual and gender radicals who hate the world as it is because they hate the God who made it,” stated Ed Vitagliano, executive vice president of the American Family Association (AFA, www.AFA.net). “They will continue to deny reality even if doing so destroys women’s sports. And they will move to swiftly punish anyone who dares to say the Emperor has no clothes, even when he’s as naked as a jaybird.

 “Mr. Cardona was being less than honest. The only people whose rights matter to the ‘progressive’ movement are those in their ‘most favored status’ categories –– especially those in the LGBTQ community. If girls feel threatened by having biological males with them in the bathroom, they say, ‘too bad - your feelings don’t count.’ If boys feel embarrassed by having biological females with them in the locker room, again, they say, ‘Too bad. Your feelings don’t count.’ These radical leftists should just come right out and say it: ‘The only ones we care about are gay, lesbian, and transgender students. The rest of you can just deal with it.’ End this charade.”

 President Biden signed an executive order in January that sets the stage for rolling out transgender protections, which stated, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” and calling for “all persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.”

 For over 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Find AFA Action Alerts here.

 AFA—founded in 1977—has long been on the front lines of America’s culture war. Today, AFA is one of the largest and most effective pro-family organizations in the country, with nearly a million online supporters and approximately 160,000 subscribers to the AFA Journal, the ministry’s monthly magazine. In addition, AFA owns and operates nearly 200 radio stations across the country under the American Family Radio banner.

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.

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 To interview a representative of the American Family Association, contact [email protected], Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.