A museum for women shouldn’t be afraid to say what a woman is

Last month, the long-awaited American Women’s History Museum hit another wall — not because of indifference, but because lawmakers who claim to champion women refused to support it.

A clarifying bill requiring the institution to recognize and celebrate biological women resulted in heated debate, with dissenters calling the language a “poison pill.” This ultimately led to the bill’s defeat by a slim 204-216 margin. Although these arguments aren’t new, there is a unique twist here: the opportunity to honor women was denied. Once again, biological women were overlooked to prove a point.

That is not advocacy — it is ideology at work.

The Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum was authorized by Congress in 2020 and has spent six years in development, with a permanent physical site finally within reach. Its goal is to honor the female entrepreneurs, scientists, explorers, artists, and mothers who achieved extraordinary things despite the obstacles.

A simple truth tied to any museum dedicated to women is that our story is rooted in the biological reality that shaped those obstacles and the challenges overcome.

Beyond the arguments of gender and sex, this kneejerk reaction to the term “biological woman” reveals something deeper. By centering womanhood on ideological debates, biological women are being repeatedly overlooked and demeaned. Their actual needs and sacrifices are minimized, and the idea takes hold that being a woman is a contrived, superficial attitude, nothing more.

As someone with a background in biology and public health, I can attest that the........

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