Florida high school sports governing body's bylaws changed to replace 'gender' with 'sex'

TALLAHASSEE — The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved changes in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s bylaws that include replacing mentions of the word “gender” with the word “sex,” amid a larger dispute between federal and state officials.

The changes came as Florida and other Republican-led states are challenging a Biden administration rule that would help carry out Title IX, a decades-old law that bars discrimination in education programs based on sex.

The federal rule, in part, would require that discrimination on the basis of gender identity be included under the broader definition of sex discrimination.

State Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said Wednesday he has “directed the institutions under my purview not to take any steps toward implementing these harmful (federal) regulations.” Diaz said the Florida High School Athletics Association is one of those institutions.