Outside the NCAA Convention in San Antonio on Thursday, a small group of demonstrators gathered to voice their opposition to the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s college sports.
Among them was Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who competed against Lia Thomas from the University of Pennsylvania in last year’s NCAA swimming and diving championships.
Addressing NCAA officials outside the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Gaines stated, “We’ve collected nearly 10,000 signatures nationwide supporting the preservation of female sports for females.”
According to current NCAA policy, transgender student-athlete participation in each sport aligns with the policies of the respective national governing bodies, such as the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
Gaines has previously raised this issue in campaign advertisements alongside former US Senate candidate Herschel Walker in Georgia and at a rally hosted by Donald Trump.
Organized by multiple groups including the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), the demonstration aimed to urge the NCAA to protect female athletes from discrimination based on sex.
In a statement released on Thursday, ICONS emphasized, “The NCAA must ensure compliance with US civil rights law by repealing policies allowing male athletes to take spots on women’s teams or compete in women’s events.”
Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a three-time Olympic gold medalist present at the protest, tweeted, “Sports instills strategic thinking. Yet, the NCAA is steadfastly pursuing an ineffective strategy: showcasing males in our sports undermines empathy towards transgender athletes and deprives females of opportunities.”
The protest also saw the participation of Christiana Kiefer, an attorney representing the religious freedom group Alliance Defending Freedom, which has faced criticism for its stance against LGBTQ rights.
Sharing a photo from the event on Twitter, Kiefer urged the NCAA, “It’s time to end discrimination against female athletes and safeguard #womenssports!”
Athlete Ally, an organization advocating LGBTQ rights in sports, condemned the protest’s focus on portraying transgender individuals as threats to women’s sports, calling it factually incorrect and harmful.
“Our goal is to protect all athletes, including transgender and nonbinary athletes, from harm,” their statement to CNN affirmed. “Demonstrations like these perpetuate misinformation and contribute to the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ youth.”
Responding to inquiries, the NCAA confirmed receipt of a petition related to its transgender student-athlete policy and pledged to review and address it in due course.