Saving women’s sports should not require so much effort.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who was an All-American and Olympic qualifier, had aspirations of going to dental school this year. Instead, she’s engaged in a national fight to keep men from competing against women in collegiate athletics.
Riley sat down with us at “Crain & Company” this week, and revealed some disturbing details regarding her time swimming against Lia Thomas. It was Lia, born William Thomas, who was ranked 462nd in men’s swimming before deciding to identify as a female, and subsequently compete on the University of Pennsylvania women’s team. This culminated with Thomas standing on the top podium and being crowned women’s national champion by the NCAA.
To make matters worse, during that championship event, Gaines said that she and the other female competitors were involuntarily subjected to Thomas, a fully grown male, undressing in the women’s locker room. This reportedly occurred despite several of Thomas’s teammates already having made Ivy League officials aware of their reluctance to share a locker room with males. What was the league’s response to those concerns? Gaines was told, ‘If you are uncomfortable seeing male genitalia, make use of our counseling resources.’
How is it that the feelings of one man outweigh those of multiple female athletes? As the father of a newborn girl, I hope I speak for many when I say, men do not belong in changing rooms with our daughters and sisters.
As for the competition itself, Gaines beat the odds when she tied Thomas in the 200m freestyle. Yet, during the award ceremony, the trophy was presented to the 6’1” Thomas. Gaines, being the courageous competitor she is, immediately questioned the NCAA official as to why her opponent was awarded the prize despite the race ending in a draw. Gaines claims she was told, ‘For photo purposes, Lia needs to hold the trophy, but we’ll mail yours.’”
Undoubtedly, this dubious PR stunt was not a unilateral decision made by some rogue representative, but rather, it serves as anecdotal evidence of a systemic ideology embedded within the philosophical fabric of our longest-standing institutions. Undergirding said philosophy is the new-age tenet that no biological or physical differences exist between the sexes. In certain factions of the population there seems to exist a narrow-minded fear that if men and women differ biologically, then this equates to one sex being superior. This is unfounded.
Professional boxing categorizes by weight for a reason. The greatest welterweight fighters would find themselves at severe disadvantages against even mediocre heavyweights. This is not indicative of a less skilled fighter; rather, it points to a physical disparity that makes the contest unfair. These physical discrepancies are found even within the same sex, and manifest themselves most at the highest levels of competition.
The final piece of information Riley Gaines shared dealt with disturbing aspects of Lia Thomas’s private life. I will refrain from going into further detail here, but I mention it to highlight the lack of due diligence embarked upon by the NCAA before lifting Lia Thomas up as its transgender hero.
Remember, it was the NCAA, which seems to stand for ‘Never Cares About Athletes,’ that nominated Lia Thomas for Woman of the Year. How broken is our culture when the highest authoritative body in collegiate athletics not only affirms the idea that men can be women, but that a man can be the best woman?
Beyond the NCAA, our university system writ large is acting in a hypocritical manner when it attempts to simultaneously hold two opposing ideals. First, women’s sports matter and must be protected. Second, championship trophies and scholarship opportunities for women may be claimed by men.
As the father of a daughter, husband of a wife, and son of a mother, I can no longer stand on the sidelines and witness the erasure of female athletics.
Senator Tommy Tuberville summarized the situation quite well on our show recently when he said, “90% of the population is being held hostage by the other 10%.” He is correct, and it is past time for us to fight back. Women’s sports are reserved for women.
David Cone is a co-host and producer of the Daily Wire’s sports show Crain & Company, as well as a contributor to Morning Wire. David is also a former quarterback for the University of Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @davidadamcone
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.