The Battle for Women’s Sports: A Call to Action for the Senate
The issue of fairness and safety in women’s sports has reached a critical juncture, demanding immediate action from the U.S. Senate. With the specter of executive order reversals looming and the rise of policies perceived to prioritize men’s participation over women’s opportunities, the need for a lasting legislative solution is paramount.
In February, President Donald Trump underscored his commitment to preserving the integrity of women’s sports by signing the Executive Order Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports. This directive aimed to ensure that any athletic program receiving federal funding would exclusively allow women to compete in women’s sports. While the executive order represented a significant step, its vulnerability to future administrations cannot be ignored.
The potential for a shift in presidential leadership raises concerns that the current protections for women’s sports could be swiftly dismantled. If former Vice President Kamala Harris were to ascend to the presidency, she could readily overturn Trump’s executive orders, thereby eliminating safeguards for female athletes and potentially opening the door for men to compete in women’s sports. Such a scenario would not only undermine the achievements of female athletes but also jeopardize their safety and opportunities.
To prevent this outcome, it is imperative that the U.S. Senate passes the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, championed by Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville. This commonsense law, which has already garnered bipartisan support in the House, seeks to codify the principle that women’s sports should be reserved for female athletes.
The vote to proceed on this crucial legislation is scheduled for today, Monday, March 3, 2025. With the backing of all 53 Republican senators, the bill requires the support of just seven Democrat senators to move forward. These seven senators face a momentous decision: to stand with the overwhelming majority of the American people, who recognize the importance of maintaining separate sporting categories for men and women.
According to a recent New York Times poll, 79% of Americans believe that boys and men, regardless of their self-identified gender, should not be permitted to participate in women’s sports. This widespread consensus reflects a deep-seated understanding of the inherent physical differences between men and women, differences that have significant implications for athletic competition.
The need for this federal law should be self-evident. It is disheartening that its passage remains uncertain. This legislation should be embraced unanimously, without hesitation.
Title IX, enacted in 1972, sought to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for women, including in sports. From the law’s inception until recently, the understanding was clear: providing women with equal opportunities in athletics necessitates separate leagues for female athletes.
It is undeniable that men possess physical advantages over women in sports. Men’s bodies are typically larger, stronger, and faster, with larger hearts and lungs, among other structural advantages. These inherent differences are the reason why we have separate categories for men and women in the first place. Men’s world records consistently surpass women’s records, underscoring the disparity in physical capabilities.
Allowing men to compete in women’s sports creates an uneven playing field that disadvantages female athletes. Women face reduced chances of winning or even making the team, and they are at a higher risk of injury, potentially severe injury. Tragically, there have already been instances of women sustaining lasting physical harm when forced to compete against men in competitions designed for women.
The question facing Democrat senators is whether they are so beholden to a fringe political movement that they will prioritize the feelings of men over the rights and safety of women. Many rank-and-file Democrat women are appalled by the extent to which their party has been hijacked by radical gender ideology, which denies the reality of sex differences.
Brave feminists and Democrats, such as Kara Dansky, author of "The Reckoning: How the Democrats and the Left Betrayed Women and Girls," tennis icon Martina Navratilova, and the leaders of the activist organization Women’s Liberation Front, have spoken out against this trend. They have rightfully condemned it as misogyny and a resurgence of sexism, disguised as inclusivity.
Today’s vote will directly impact female athletes competing in U.S. colleges and schools. Democrat senators must send a clear message that they support women’s opportunities to win athletic competitions and compete safely. Do they want young girls to continue pursuing sports scholarships, or do they want them to accept that they will likely lose their spots and dreams to men who identify as female?
The issue extends beyond female athletes. Democrat senators will also be revealing their stance on the women who are suffering in prisons because of policies that allow men, including violent, convicted male sex offenders, to identify as women and gain access to women’s facilities. It also concerns women and girls who have been forced to endure the presence of men, including registered sex offenders, in their locker rooms, where they are expected to undress while these men observe them and expose themselves.
Whose side are these Democrat senators on? Do they stand with women, or do they stand against them? The answer will be revealed today.
The future of women’s sports and the safety of women in vulnerable spaces hang in the balance. The Senate must act decisively to protect the rights and opportunities of female athletes and ensure their safety and well-being.
