I didn’t want it to come out. It was better left hidden deep inside, but like a ticking time bomb, it was waiting for something, or someone to set it off. I am talking about my feminist nature, which stays fairly dormant until aggravated by ignorance and misinformation.

I am referring to an April 9 letter to the editor titled, “Title IX to blame for loss of baseball.” What follows this title is a series of generalizations, ignorance and lack of information. As the title suggests, the author tries to “prove” that Title IX is responsible for the axing of ISU baseball. Following is a somewhat different view, one of someone who does not have a penis.

To defend Title IX, we need to understand what it is and why it was implemented. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 states, “No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid.”

Basically, Title IX was put in place to discontinue discrimination against women in athletics and education, and give them equal opportunities and funding. Just like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and origin. Title IX of the Educational Amendments prohibits discrimination based on gender in athletic and educational environments.

It seems pretty straightforward, right? So when the men’s baseball and swim teams got cut last year, many fingers were pointed at Title IX. In fact, it was due to the combined inability of the athletic department to allocate funds properly and big budget cuts and tuition increases. Less federal funding for Iowa’s public universities means less federal funding for athletic departments of Iowa’s public universities, and something has got to give.

I am not disagreeing that men’s sports produce more revenues than women’s. According to Iowa State’s Athletic Department Web site, at www.cyclones.com, the 2002 football team’s income was $11 million and the men’s basketball team made roughly $6 million. Although this appears to be profitable, keep in mind each team incurred $5 million and $3 million in expenses, respectively, compared with the $400,000 expense of women’s gymnastics. All other athletic teams, men’s and women’s, lose money, even the ever-successful wrestling team.

For non-math majors, even though men’s football and basketball are lucrative, they eat up approximately half of their revenue with expenses, some possibly bordering on unnecessary. Maybe the problem is the athletic department has trouble saying no to revenue-producing sports, and that is not the fault of women or Title IX.

The author of this letter continues to argue that men’s sports are more exciting than women’s sports, thus creating more interest in them. I am not opposing this aspect either, because it is true. Men are anatomically different than women, in the sense that they are stronger, faster and have more muscle mass and lower percentage of body fat. Men are also naturally more aggressive, and women tend to be more nurturing. Because of these facts, men can make better athletic plays, making the sport more exciting to watch.

My point is that, as a woman, I did not choose to be born a woman, and I can’t help that I was born a female, just as a black person cannot change the fact that he or she was born black. It’s not fair to discriminate against something that is beyond control, such as gender, just like it is unacceptable to discriminate against things such as race and disability. Look past the outside differences. We are all still human beings that deserve to be treated equally, no matter what.

Sometimes athletics are more than how much money it rakes in or how many fans it puts in the seats. Athletics matter most to the people who participate in them. When my mom was in high school, she had the choice of being a cheerleader or being a cheerleader, and never had the opportunities I had in high school.

Also, sports have more benefits than runner’s legs and a smooth outside jumper; they are linked with successfulness. According to www.womenssportsfoundation.org, when Title IX was enacted in 1972,

9 percent of medical degrees went to women, compared with 38 percent today.

Also, in 1972, 15 percent of student athletes in college were female, compared with 37 percent today. In 1992, women also earned the majority of associate’s and master’s degrees, reversing the 1977 pattern of men earning the greater part.

Since 1971, the number of women college athletes has grown to 100,000, a four-fold increase. Title IX is giving women athletes a reason to come to college, a chance to compete in athletics, an opportunity to excel academically and the resources to become important contributors to society. This is priceless.

Title IX is an important part of an Equal Rights Movement, and should not be brushed aside or used as a scapegoat. Before you judge, look at the bigger picture.