Take Action! WoLF Testifies in Support of Colorado and Maryland Save Women’s Sports Bills
Take Action! Tell your lawmakers to Save Women’s Sports!
WoLF has submitted testimony in two key states in support of bills that would protect women’s sports from participation by males. The Colorado Women's Rights In Athletics bill (HB 1098) and the Maryland Save Women’s Sports Act (HB 0359) would ensure female athletes at all levels of competition are not disenfranchised from participation in their own competitions by “gender identity” policies.
A Level Playing Field: SIngle-Sex Sports For WOmen
Similar proposed bills have been popping up across the country in response to President Biden’s executive order to interpret “sex” in federal anti-discrimination law as including “gender identity.” In response, the Department of Education issued guidance requiring schools to effectively prohibit female-only athletics by opening them up to male athletes who claim to have a female “gender identity.” This policy is now being challenged in Federal court while states also attempt to protect female athletes.
Kacie Moon, WoLF Board President and Maryland resident, submitted written testimony on WoLF’s behalf and is also scheduled to appear at an in-person hearing on Wednesday, February 15th. In her testimony, she writes about how women’s sports made an impact on her:
“In high school, I ran varsity track and went to a state championship. Those formative experiences instilled an enduring sense of self-esteem, body confidence, and determination that has propelled me through my life and career. If I had faced off against boys in those races, I know my successes and camaraderie with my female teammates would have been deeply diminished.”
Multiple states have already passed at least some legislation protecting women’s sports, and the majority of remaining states have pending bills that are being considered. National polling by WoLF demonstrated that over two-thirds of American voters would support bills that prevent males from participating in women’s and girls’ teams.
Single-sex teams ensure that women and girls will continue to have opportunities to compete in and win sporting events, as well as to advance their educational opportunities and careers. Research shows that women and girls who participate in sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, more positive body image, and lower levels of depression. They achieve better grades in school, are more likely to graduate, and are less likely to experience unwanted pregnancies. Policies that allow men and boys to compete in female athletic leagues risk excluding girls from their own sports.
About the bills
Colorado: Women's Rights In Athletics (HB 1098)
The Colorado Women’s Rights in Athletics bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation that protects women and girls at every level of competition. The bill requires all intercollegiate, interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic teams, sports, or athletic events to be designated as male, female, or co-ed. If passed, the bill would prevent athletes from competing in sports designated for the opposite sex.”
The bill also provides a civil cause of action for any student or school harmed by violations of the law, meaning that any female athlete who loses out on opportunities after being forced to compete against a male in Colorado would have the ability to sue.
Read the full text of CO HB 1098 | View WoLF’s written testimony
Maryland: Save Women’s Sports Act (HB 0359)
The Maryland Save Women’s Sports Act is similar, but unfortunately only applies to high schools. The act states that “An interscholastic or intramural junior varsity or varsity athletic team or sport designated for girls, females, or women may not include students of the male sex.”
The Maryland bill defines sex based on biology, and specifically calls out the “denial of science” inherent to gender identity policies that pretend males have no competitive advantage in athletics. This bill also creates a civil cause of action for students harmed by violations of the law.
Read the full text of MD HB 0359 | View WoLF’s written testimony
Take Action!
As an organization dedicated to restoring, protecting, and advancing the rights of women and girls, WoLF has worked hard to consistently support legislation protecting single-sex athletics.
Recently, we stood in solidarity with the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) and other national organizations to deliver a legal demand letter to the NCAA to keep women’s sports female, in response to the NCAA’s practice of allowing men to compete with and against women.
Through calls to action, public comments, testimony, and amicus briefs, WoLF has been working for years to influence policy and produce results that make a real impact in the lives of women and girls.
You can read our legal arguments in favor of saving women’s sports in our amicus briefs filed in Hecox v. Little or A.M. v. Indianapolis Public Schools, the second of which we filed jointly with Concerned Women for America.
Since 2020, we have submitted testimony protecting women’s and girls’ sports in New Hampshire, Kansas, New Mexico, Maine, South Carolina, Delaware, and Alaska. At the federal level, we warned the Department of Education what losing single-sex provisions in Title IX would mean for women’s sports, and issued a joint statement with Family Policy Alliance that featured comments from over 13,000 US citizens urging the protection of Title IX.
Are you a US citizen willing to stand up for women and girls?
Our online form makes it easy to tell lawmakers in your state what you think. All you have to do is submit your name and address! We will then check if there is pending legislation in your state to save women’s sports, and if so, send a letter on your behalf to your state representatives and senators.