Does two plus two equal three? Or can a man be a woman?

Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C., have embraced an ideology that denies the basic scientific truth that an individual's sex is as unchangeable as the fact that two plus two equals four.

An enduring example of this fact-denying ideology occurred when the Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation hearings in 2022 on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. During those hearings, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) asked Jackson about the majority opinion that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had written in the case of United States v. Virginia, in which the court ruled that the Virginia Military Institute could not remain an all-male school.

In that opinion, Blackburn told Jackson, Ginsburg had said: "'Physical differences between men and women, however, are enduring. The two sexes are not fungible. A community made up exclusively of one sex is different from a community composed of both.'"

Blackburn than asked Jackson: "Do you agree with Justice Ginsburg that there are physical differences between men and women that are enduring?"

Jackson, at first, tried to evade the question.

"OK," said Blackburn. "Can you provide a definition for the word 'woman'?"

"Can I provide a definition?" said Jackson.

"Mm-hmm. Yes," said Blackburn.

"No. I can't," said Jackson.

"You can't? OK," said Blackburn.

"Not in this context," said Jackson. "I'm not a biologist."

The unwillingness of liberals like Jackson to acknowledge a biological difference between males and females has had a negative impact on school sports.

Last year, Rep. Greg Steube (R.-Fla.) introduced the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" in the House of Representatives.

"This bill generally prohibits school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose biological sex at birth was male to participate in programs that are for women or girls," said its official summary. "Specifically, the bill provides that it is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for federally funded education programs or activities to operate, sponsor, or facilitate athletic programs or activities that allow individuals of the male sex to participate in programs or activities that are designated for women or girls."

"Under the bill," said the summary, "sex is based on an individual's reproductive biology and genetics at birth."

This bill passed the House on Jan. 14, 2025, on a 218-206 vote. Of the 2018 House members who voted for it, 216 were Republicans. Only two were Democrats.

It was introduced in the Senate that same month by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), the former Auburn football coach. On March 3, 2025, it came up for a cloture vote in which it would have needed 60 votes to proceed to a substantive vote. But only 51 senators — all of whom were Republicans — voted for cloture. Two Republicans and two Democrats did not vote at all, and 45 Democrats voted against it.

On Sept. 23 of this year, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled "Standing Up for Women in Sports: Ensuring Opportunity, Fairness and Safety for Female Athletes." Sen. Chuck Grassley (R.-Iowa), the chairman of the committee, used his opening statement to highlight the positive impact competing in sports has had on American women — and the negative impact that allowing men to compete in women's sports will have on that.

"Why is it important to preserve women's sports for biological women?" Grassley asked in his opening statement. "What is at stake?

"Studies and testimonials prove that girls' participation in sports has many benefits that should not be taken from them. High school girls involved in sports get higher grades. They graduate at a higher rate than girls who don't play sports."

"The benefits to women playing sports are also long term," he said.

To demonstrate this, Grassley cited a 2023 survey by Deloitte. "Of female respondents who make $100K+ annually and are in management or leadership roles, 69% have played competitive sports," this survey discovered, according to a statement from Deloitte.

"Eighty-five percent of surveyed women who played sports say the skills they developed playing sports were important to success in their professional careers — the findings are even higher among women in leadership roles (91%) and women who make $100,000 or more (93%)," the statement reads.

Grassley concluded that men should not be allowed to compete in women's sports.

"Biological women should not be asked to accommodate men who, for reasons of identity or otherwise, choose to compete in the women's category instead of the men's or a co-ed category," said Grassley.

"It is just not fair. ... It takes hard-won opportunities away from women," he said. "It goes backwards, ripping the promise of the American Dream from women to once again give it to men."

There were only three witnesses at this hearing because the committee's Democrats declined to invite any witnesses to represent their side of the argument. The witnesses that did testify included Kim Jones, cofounder of the Independent Council on Women's Sports; Carly Smolak, a former professional soccer player; and William Bock III, an attorney.

Grassley asked them all a question that followed up on what Blackburn had asked Jackson in 2022.

"The first question may seem awful simple, but it takes off from a question that Senator Blackburn, a member of this committee, asked now a justice of the Supreme Court whether she could answer the question: What is a woman?" said Grassley. "She said she couldn't because she wasn't a biologist. So, I want to ask you the same question. All of you. What is a woman?"

"Adult human female," said Jones.

"An adult human female," said Smolak.

"An adult human female, and a woman is determined by her biology alone," said Bock.

It was that simple.

But not for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) the committee's ranking Democrat. He put out a statement that "denounced" the hearing.

"I will not ask questions, and the minority did not call any witnesses," Durbin said.

Acknowledging some of the most basic biological truths has become impossible for today's Democrat leaders. Just as it would destroy their promotion of abortion to admit an unborn human being is a human being, it would destroy their approach to women's sports to admit a girl is a girl and a boy is a boy.

To find out more about Terence P. Jeffrey and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Tim Mossholder at Unsplash