Disclaimer: This article may contain the viewpoint and opinion of the author.
One of the biggest sports stories of this year involves Lia Thomas, a swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania women’s team who transitioned from a man to a woman earlier this year. Thomas previously competed for the men’s team up until the 2021-2022 academic year.
The controversial Thomas was an average men’s swimmer but dominated early in women’s competitions. Eventually, the swimmer got beat in the NCAA Championships. That didn’t stop the NCAA from nominating her for the Woman’s Athlete of the Year.
A University of Kentucky swimmer has been the leading opponent of Thomas’ participation in the woman’s sport. Riley Gaines has gained national attention as an outspoken critic of Thomas from the start.
People are listening to Gaines’ voice and courage. The University of Kentucky has nominated her for NCAA Women’s Athlete of the Year which sets up an epic confrontation for the NCAA.
It appears the Oklahoma Governor listening. In March, Kevin Stitt signed the Save Women’s Sports Act, thus requiring sports teams through the college level to be grouped by an athlete’s biological sex at birth.
Now, according to Newsmax.com, student-athletes at Oklahoma public schools will be required to complete biological sex affidavits acknowledging their gender identity at birth, before participating in sports for the 2022-23 academic year.
Any athlete event and younger will have to have their parent or guardian sign the form. Any athlete 18 or older, can sign it themselves.
There is opposition to the bill. The ACLU and a group called Reproaction have come out against the bill. According to Reproaction’s website, its mission is to increase access to abortion and advance reproductive justice.
“This has nothing to do with encouraging girls to be athletes,” abortion rights group Reproaction‘s Executive Director Erin Matson claimed on Twitter. “This is totalitarianism. It is the white nationalist agenda. The anti-LGBTQ agenda. The anti-abortion agenda. It is all the same agenda.”
Okay, how does ensuring girls don’t compete against biological boys an attack on abortion? How is it a white nationalist agenda?
The group has a strategic plan listed on its website. Point number three is the following:
GIVING ABORTION A PERMANENT SEAT AT THE PROGRESSIVE TABLE: Minimizing and shaming abortion is unacceptable. We do not accept compromises on women’s human rights.
They are concerned with women’s human rights. Yet, they don’t care about women playing in athletic contests against biological men. They don’t care that a young girl may lose her college scholarship to an athlete who is a guy.
Opponents of the bill will point to the transgender community and those that identify as a different sex. If they identify as a female like Lia Thomas, they should be able to play in womens competitions. It is their emotional makeup and their feelings will be hurt if they don’t.
What about the feelings of the girls who have to play against these guys? Do their feelings matter? Are they not important? The progressive left practices identity politics. It is worse than that. It is selective identity politics. That is called fascism.
