Maine Teens Advocate for Single-Sex Sports Amidst State Policy Clash
A group of four female student-athletes from Presque Isle High School recently traveled to Augusta, Maine, to voice their concerns regarding the inclusion of transgender athletes in girls’ sports. The young women engaged with state legislators, primarily Democrats, to advocate for bills that would restrict participation in female sports to biological females. This issue has ignited a heated debate within the state, impacting sports seasons and sparking legal challenges.
For Hailey Himes, Lucy Cheney, and Carrlyn Buck, this marked their first foray into political activism. They joined fellow track teammate Cassidy Carlisle, who has prior experience advocating on this issue, including trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with Republican leaders.
The students faced a challenging environment, navigating through pro-transgender counter-protesters outside the Capitol building and encountering what they perceived as dismissive attitudes from some Democratic lawmakers inside. "It was a little intimidating knowing they don’t have the same beliefs as us," Himes told Fox News Digital.
Himes’ involvement was spurred by a school assignment. An essay on the topic of transgender athletes in sports, assigned by her English teacher, prompted her to take a more active role. However, the experience that truly galvanized her was witnessing a transgender athlete win the girls’ pole vault competition for Greely High School in early February. "I watched this male pole vaulter stand on the podium and we were all just like looking – we were like ‘We’re pretty sure that’s not a girl. There’s no way that’s a girl," Himes recounted. "It was really discouraging, especially for the girls on the podium not in first place. So that motivated me to fight for them."
The issue of transgender athletes had already touched Presque Isle High School several years prior when a biological male joined the girls’ tennis team. "We all heard of it from friends and none of us do tennis so it was just kind of a word of mouth kind of thing," Cheney explained. "At that point we couldn’t really do anything about it because the administration agreed to let them play so we really just had to accept it, and really no one else on the team really wanted to accept it, but they had to." The situation became a persistent topic of discussion throughout the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, until the athlete’s graduation last summer.
This year, the debate has intensified, becoming a national point of contention between Maine and the Trump administration. Governor Janet Mills and the Democratic majority in the state legislature have stood firm in their commitment to allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports. This stance contrasts sharply with the Trump administration’s position, potentially jeopardizing federal funding for Maine’s schools. Meanwhile, student-athletes like Carlisle, Himes, Cheney, and Buck face the uncertainty of competing against transgender athletes in their upcoming track and field playoffs.
Inside the Capitol, the students encountered resistance from Democratic legislators who have actively opposed the Trump administration’s executive order on the issue. Three Republican-backed bills, LD 868, LD 233, and LD 1134, aimed to reverse the state’s current policy. The Presque Isle students were among a dozen high school girls present to advocate for these bills.
Cheney described a perceived disparity in how Democratic leaders engaged with different viewpoints. "They definitely asked a lot less questions to the people who they didn’t agree with than the people who they did agree with, and you could tell they did not feel as compassionate," she said. "They got emotional just when [pro-trans speakers] were sharing, and it seemed like they really cared for them, and they wanted to support them, and it didn’t feel as much as they wanted to hear our side." Buck echoed this sentiment, describing the Democrats’ questions as "hostile" and "pestering."
The athletes emphasized the potential impact on their sports season, citing a recent track meet where a transgender athlete from North Yarmouth Academy dominated the girls’ 800-meter and 1600-meter events. Himes stated, "For my teammates, and some of my best friends on the team that are in the events with [the trans athletes], it’s really unfortunate for them, and just our team as a whole because those points will impact our team ranking." She also mentioned that one local girl’s parents were considering preventing her from competing in the same event as a transgender athlete.
Buck added that the issue extends beyond points, stating, "It’s not just about the points, it’s also that our teammates are going to feel discouraged when placed in an event against them because they’re going in already knowing that the outcome is decided, with playing against a biological male who is biologically stronger than them, so they have no chance."
Carlisle has personal experience with this feeling, having lost to the same athlete who dominated the Poland-NYA-Yarmouth-Seacoast meet in previous competitions. She also recounted an experience in seventh grade where she had to share a locker room with a transgender student.
Despite her activism, Carlisle emphasized that her concerns are not rooted in animosity towards transgender individuals. "I communicate with them almost on the daily, we never have negative interactions," Carlisle said. "For people that want to say we’re not accepting, that’s not the problem. We don’t have a problem in general with trans people. We have a problem when it starts to impact our lives." Instead, Carlisle directs her frustration toward Governor Mills, accusing her of disregarding the concerns of female athletes. "She is directly looking at us and saying ‘I don’t care about you," Carlisle said. "When I vote next time, I’ll absolutely take that into consideration."
The four teens plan to continue lobbying in Augusta for LD 868, LD 233, and LD 1134, hoping to secure the passage of these bills. They also emphasized the importance of maintaining federal funding for their schools. "Our schools need federal funding," Carlisle said. "So for [Mills], now she’s not just looking at Maine girl athletes and saying ‘I don’t really care about you.’ She’s looking at students in Maine and saying ‘I don’t care about you and I don’t care if your school gets funding, because I’m going to pick a fight that really doesn’t need to be picked."
The Department of Justice has accused Maine of violating federal anti-discrimination law by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports. Governor Mills, the Maine Department of Education, and the Maine Principals Association have defended their policy, citing the Maine Human Rights Act.
However, some school districts are taking independent action. MSAD No. 70 and RSU No. 24 have amended their policies to exclude transgender athletes from girls’ sports.
Furthermore, public opinion in Maine may be shifting. A survey by the American Parents Coalition indicated that 63% of registered Maine voters believe that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agree that women’s sports should be restricted to biological women. The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls’ sports to biological females.
Despite this potential shift, Governor Mills has remained steadfast in her opposition to the Trump administration’s stance, even at the cost of taxpayer-funded legal fees. "I’m happy to go to court and litigate the issues that are being raised in this court complaint," Mills told reporters in April. The situation remains fluid, with legal challenges and public debate continuing to shape the future of transgender athlete participation in Maine’s schools.
