At hour 13 of the second day of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked the Supreme Court nominee to define what a woman is.
Politico reports that Jackson said she can’t.
"You can’t?" Blackburn said.
"Not in this context," Jackson said. "I’m not a biologist."
"The meaning of the word woman is so unclear and controversial that you can’t give me a definition?" Blackburn said.
From critical race theory to gender identity curriculum in schools to transgender UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, the Tennessee Republican raised a variety of controversial issues during her questioning of the potential Supreme Court justice.
"The fact that you can’t give me a straight answer about something as fundamental as what a woman is underscores the dangers of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about," Blackburn reportedly said.
Her role as a judge, Jackson said, would be to settle disagreements about a definition and to interpret the law.
Pivoting to University of Pennsylvania swimmer Thomas, Blackburn asked Jackson what kind of message allowing Thomas to compete against biological women sends to "girls who aspire to compete and win in sports?"
"Senator, I’m not sure what message that sends," Jackson answered. "If you’re asking me about the legal issues related to it — those are topics that are being hotly discussed, as you say, and could come to the court."
"I think it tells our girls that their voices don’t matter," Blackburn said. "I think it tells them that they’re second-class citizens. And parents want to have a Supreme Court justice who is committed to preserving parental autonomy and protecting our nation’s children."
At the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships last week, Thomas won first place in the 500-yard freestyle, fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle, and eighth place in the 100-yard freestyle.
The Daily Wire reports that, following Thomas' win of the 500-yard freestyle event, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by announcing that Sarasota native and second place finisher Emma Weyant was the true champion.
Signing a proclamation Tuesday declaring Weyant "the rightful winner," DeSantis tweeted that the NCAA is "perpetuating a fraud."
"By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud," DeSantis wrote. "In Florida, we reject these lies, and recognize Sarasota’s Emma Weyant as the best women’s swimmer in the 500y freestyle."
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