Women Stepping Up celebrates 50 years of Title IX with discussion panel

EVANSVILLE, Ind.— As the 50th anniversary of Title IX approaches, a local advocacy group is hosting a panel discussion about the law's impact.

WEHT-ABC25 televison station anchor Shelley Kirk will moderate the panel discussion Wednesday, which will be streamed live on Facebook from noon to 1 p.m.

Title IX is a civil rights law passed in June 1972 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender.

"It has made a huge difference in the lives of women," said Linda Negro, the marketing committee chair for Women Stepping Up.

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Negro recalled her own experiences in college in 1972 and struggles of being an athlete.

"It wasn't an easy time," Negro said.

The panelists will includes Katie Blair, director of advocacy and public policy for the ACLU; Roseyn Hood, chief diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging officer for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.; Chelsea Keaton, Title IX coordinator and affirmative action officer for the University of Southern Indiana; and Annie Sills, assistant director of institutional equity and Title IX coordinator at the University of Evansville.

"There still isn't equality," Negro said.

Negro cited the Indiana Legislature's decision in May to override Gov. Eric Holcomb's veto of a bill banning transgender females from competing in girls school sports.

This is the organization's first event focused on Title IX and is one of three Women Stepping Up is hosting. The next two will cover Title IX education (Sept. 21) and athletics (Nov. 30).

Alexa Shrake can be reached by email at AShrake@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Women Stepping up hosts Title IX panel in Evansville on Facebook