National Organization for Women: Transgender Athlete Discussion

For the past couple of years, the debate over whether transgender athletes should be permitted to participate in women’s sports has been a prominent topic of discussion in the United States.

Recently, the National Organization for Women (NOW) seemingly took a stance on this contentious issue. NOW’s response was triggered by news that several former and current college athletes had filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging violations of their Title IX rights. The lawsuit was prompted by the NCAA’s decision to allow Lia Thomas to compete in the 2022 national championships.

In its statement, National Organization for Women (NOW) argued that using womenhood as a weapon against other women exemplifies the workings of white supremacist patriarchy. The organization asserted that propagating the belief that there isn’t adequate space for transgender women in sports also aligns with white supremacist patriarchy ideologies.

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer for Kentucky who now works for OutKick, expressed her disagreement with NOW’s stance. Gaines found it troubling that advocating for fair competition in sports was equated with being a white supremacist. She openly wondered if her attorney would concur with such a characterization, adding a light-hearted note about NOW’s acronym.

The debate surrounding this issue is far from over and is expected to continue to generate significant discussion in the coming months and years.

_{Repurposed article originally published in The Spun}