Democrat-controlled states, from Maine to California, are becoming more extreme, not less. For the most part, they have learned nothing. From Title IX to higher taxes, they hurt their people. This just has to stop.

Title IX provides an excellent example of Democratic extremism. On June 23, 1972, President Nixon signed Title IX, a civil rights law opening educational, sports, scholarship, and wider opportunities to girls and women. Why it took so long is another story, but suffice it to say, it was overdue.

Prior to Title IX, discrimination against girls and women in education and elsewhere was defended on biology. It was rampant. Girls and women were disallowed from classes, majors, sports, learning, and hiring, forced to take certain classes and perform tasks not asked of boys.

The notion that females might equal—or exceed—males in math, science, engineering, reading, writing, linguistics, law, or medicine was radical. Giving them a fair chance to try was, too.

Over the next 50 years, Title IX protected biological girls and women, for the very reason that they are biologically different. Genetically, in bone, joint, muscle, respiratory structure, and dozens of other verifiable, unchangeable ways, from pre-birth to death, women are different.

Just writing those words, realizing there is a need to write them, seems utterly silly. But that is the state of our political dialogue, the low bar or ridiculous nature of this debate, set by Democrats.

The main point remains: Biological girls and women — the only kind there are — deserve “equal protection,” benefits, opportunities, dignity, privacy, safety, and chances to realize their life dreams.

They deserve — in society’s educational, employment, athletic, and other venues — the chance not to be intimidated, threatened, hurt, or overrun by males, dishonored, displaced, or pushed to sacrifice their God-given identity, dignity, privacy, safety, or opportunities by misapplied laws.

Politics, pride, prejudice, and left-wing ideology will never redefine humanity, despite the Marxist hope to do so. They cannot redefine what is undefinable, like math, physics, chemistry, biology, the universe, and nature. They cannot redefine timeless constitutional principles or natural law.

So, where does that leave us? In places like Maine, it leaves the Democrat-controlled legislature, female governor, secretary of state, and attorney general looking silly, denying facts and law.

With girls and women succeeding under Title IX, experiencing equal treatment, accommodation, admissions, scholarships, and participation in education, from elementary to graduate schools, they are turning back the clock and disadvantaging biological women.

This crazy specter — in Maine and other states pushing ideological extremism, determined to “resist” President Trump — is a bad comedy, fast becoming a tragedy. It will end poorly, as bad policy always does. Trying to reverse Title IX’s protections is like trying to disown the Constitution.

Beyond a sweeping electoral reaction in 2026, what else might happen? Failing one-party states, like Maine under Democrat misrule, are hurting their people badly, measurably. It may get worse.

Unlike Maine’s female governor and 52-percent-female Democrat legislative contingent, all of whom benefited from Title IX recognizing and protecting them as women, they would have Maine girls be second-class citizens — forced to compete with males in sports, lose rights, and suffer injuries.

It is really, even in political terms, rather incredible. Missing is hard-won equal treatment, appreciation for biological uniqueness. Lost is the chance to shine, participate without fear of injury or injustice, scholarships, life-changing recognition, and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms.

The brazen way this is done by Maine’s arrogant Democrat leaders is breathtaking and stirs anger. It should. As the father of a girl, Title IX and our Constitution must be honored, not lawlessly denied. Even far left California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has finally succumbed to logic and called biological males competing in female sports “deeply unfair.”

The final act, unless Maine Democrats find humility, will again slam Mainers. The Department of Justice will lawfully withhold education funds, conditioned on a governor violating established law. The same would be true, by the way, under any president and for any governor who knowingly violated civil rights. Here, the prejudice is not against a race, but against girls and women.

Bottom line: Maine Democrats — and others nationwide — need to pause, think, look at facts, and abide by the law. Otherwise, Maine families will be financially hammered. Democrats seem to care more about ideology than people. In truth, nutrition, special education, and other programs will continue — but with higher taxes.

In places like Maine, already transparently mismanaged, facing a $450 million deficit, then new taxes for $120 million in Democrat overspending, taxpayers may face another $360 million in state taxes. All this was avoidable. Budgets and taxes must be cut, and girls protected. Does it get any simpler?