A new crop of activists is suddenly interested in standing up for female athletes.
I've been a competitive athlete for most of my life. Breaking three hours in the marathon a year ago helped me reframe how I think about myself and what I can do. But sports also reflect society. That means that when money and power are involved, women often take a back seat to men. |
The pandemic has only widened the divide. So when we saw the resource disparities in men's and women's basketball teams for March Madness last week — fewer media resources, inferior equipment — I wasn't surprised. |
But another controversial conversation unfolding in the sports world right now did surprise me. There's a movement brewing to "save women's sports" — by excluding transgender athletes. As I explained in an Op-Ed this morning, I've found it frustrating to watch the sports I love get hijacked by a debate that has nothing to do with women's sports at all. |
This year, lawmakers in more than 20 states have introduced legislation to ban transgender kids from girls' sports under the guise of protecting women and girls. "The game is being rigged against women and in favor of biological men," wrote Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, in National Review. Bills have already passed in Mississippi and Idaho. |
I have some suggestions for the new crop of activists who are suddenly, and disingenuously, committed to standing up for female athletes: If you genuinely want to help us, try investing in us. Watch our sports. Learn our names. But do not use us as an excuse for your transphobia. |
It's ironic to me that so many Americans are fueling such bad faith controversy around sports they used to barely care about. They're missing the point. I hope we can use this moment to correct the inequities in women's sports, and finally make them fairer and more inclusive for all. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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