WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Independent Women celebrates the extraordinary progress women and girls have made in athletics, underscores the movement in the right direction to keep women’s sports female, and highlights the work left to be done in the highest court in the land to protect the legacy of women’s sports.
Payton McNabb, an Independent Women sports ambassador, said: “Sports shaped who I am—they taught me discipline, confidence, and perseverance. National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a time to honor the progress women have fought for and to ensure the next generation has the same opportunity to compete safely, fairly, and with confidence.” Read more about Payton here.
Payton McNabb’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day op-ed today on OutKick.com: Girls’ Sports Day Should Be For Girls.
Linnea Saltz, an Independent Women sports ambassador, said, “The tides have turned towards common sense. This National Girls and Women in Sports Day, I am proud to honor the female athletes who came before me who fought for equal opportunity. Since I competed against a man during my NCAA track and field competition in 2019, there has been so much progress and momentum to protect her legacy. I am confident that the truth about biological reality will prevail at the highest levels. Women’s sports exist because women fought for them, and they will endure only if we are willing to defend them.” Read more about Linnea here.
Madisan DeBos, an Independent Women sports ambassador, said, “As a former DI cross country and track athlete who competed against a trans-identified man at the collegiate level, this National Girls and Women in Sports Day means more to me now than ever. After years of tirelessly working to defend women’s sports, I am grateful for everyone who has helped protect our legacy and safeguard women’s sports and safety.” Read more about Madisan here.
According to research conducted by Independent Women, 83% of voters agree that, when it comes to athletics, there are important reasons to separate the sexes. Americans overwhelmingly support keeping women’s sports female—and momentum is moving in the right direction towards common sense.
Protecting Her Legacy | The White House
Last year on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Independent Women joined President Donald J. Trump for the signing of the Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports Executive Order, which protects equal athletic opportunity for both sexes and prohibits men from participating in athletic programs that are designated for women. This was a monumental step in the right direction, leading to national and international sports governing bodies, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the International Olympic Committee, to follow suit.
President Trump, during his Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports Executive Order remarks, highlighted Independent Women: “Independent Women, it’s a group that fought very hard on this issue.”
Protecting Her Legacy | State Action
Independent Women has been a national leader in the fight for women’s sports—advancing its Stand With Women model legislation to define sex-based terms like “woman” and “man” in states, advocating for policies that keep men out of women’s sports, and holding events around the country featuring female athletes and coaches who discuss their first-hand experiences of blatant discrimination in their own sport, threats to privacy as men are entering locker rooms, severe injuries by male athletes on women’s teams, and the overall erasure of equality and fairness in women’s sports.
Protecting Her Legacy | Congress
For years, Independent Women has worked closely with Senator “Coach” Tommy Tuberville and Representative Greg Steube to advance the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which quickly became a day-one priority for the 119th Congress and passed the House with bipartisan support in January. The bill failed in the U.S. Senate due to Democratic reluctance to stand with women.
Protecting Her Legacy | United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States is currently considering two landmark cases, West Virginia v. B.P.J and Little v. Hecox, which will determine whether states may continue to enforce laws that protect female-only athletic categories. The Supreme Court’s ruling expected later this year will have sweeping national implications for the meaning and enforcement of Title IX itself and the protection of women’s spaces. Around the oral arguments in January, Independent Women sounded the alarm on the importance of protecting women’s spaces, calling upon the court to uphold Title IX.
Independent Women’s Law Center has filed amicus briefs in both cases, presenting the Court with scientific evidence, legal precedent, and the real-life stories of women and girls harmed when sex-based protections are ignored. These cases represent a defining moment for the future of female athletics.
“Competition: Title IX, Male Athletes, and the Threat To Women’s Sports,” a report by Independent Women, has informed much of its legal apparatus and policy recommendations on this issue, synthesizing the science and explaining the changing legal landscape and the future of female athletics.
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