A website that focuses on stories about gay and transgender athletes just doxxed the names of the 309 collegiate and professional female athletes who signed a letter in support of Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
The Vox Media-run site, Outsports, published the signatories who addressed a letter to the NCAA Board of Governors arguing that the Idaho law promotes fairness in sports. The most notable signature published was Martina Navratilova, the world-renowned tennis star. Several names had already been made public, but Outsports revealed the rest of the names out of pure malice and in a desperate effort to shame them for standing up for women and fair play.
In the letter, the current and former athletes describe how they need and appreciate “a fair and level playing field” in sports. The signatories urge the NCAA to protect women’s sports, particularly as it relates to the design of Title IX, which promised equality and not entitlement.
“We strongly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to compete, but true athletic parity for women demands that women’s sports be protected for biological females,” the letter reads. “Protecting the integrity of women’s sports has, for decades, played an integral role in remedying past discrimination against women and empowering them to achieve their full athletic potential.” It’s encouraging to see such a large swath of talented women vocally supporting biology-based competition in female sports, although it’s still surprising that we have come to such a bizarre controversy, as the transgender ideology has seeped into every avenue of life.
In May, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of a male athlete seeking to challenge Idaho’s newly enacted Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which the legislature had easily passed, and the governor signed without fanfare. The next month, the ACLU and various female athletes called on the NCAA to boycott Idaho.
I corresponded with one of the women who has filed to intervene in the lawsuit. Mary Kate Marshall, an accomplished collegiate athlete, is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom and has a vested interest in sports remaining a fair playing ground for women. I asked her why she even wanted to get involved in such an issue, given how controversial it is.
“Biological differences between the sexes is the reason we have women’s sports,” Marshall said in an email. “Males have distinct biological advantages that give them an athletic advantage over women, including bigger lungs, denser bones, and larger muscles. When males compete in women’s sports, women lose.” Marshall continued, “I’ve personally watched one of my teammates lose her spot on the victory podium at a regional track championship because a male took her spot. This isn’t fair.”
Marshall has competed against male athletes and lost multiple times, and she doesn’t appreciate the increased competition because it’s based on gender “identity,” not equality. “It’s really deflating and discouraging when I see a male in my races, because I know I don’t have a fair shot at competing and getting the placement that I deserve,” she said.
Fair play in women’s sports will be the next battleground in schools, once schools and universities begin functioning at full capacity again. Given how malicious Outsports was in doxxing those who had the courage to stand up for women, this is obviously a topic the transgender lobby believes should already be in the bag.
It’s vital that men and women stand up not just for fair play in sports but the concept of biological differences. The erasure of women in sports, women’s privacy in bathrooms, and women’s body parts by transition is truly a sight to behold as transgender ideology moves to take over so many elements of life. This is one area conservatives and others must remain firm on because the differences in biology are so clear. To the point, the outcomes in sports are so glaringly different when men who say they are transgender females are allowed to play against biological females. It should be considered an obvious violation of federal law and societal norms.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
