I expect to cover a lot of cultural madness in my line of work. But I never thought I’d ever find myself voluntarily writing about sex toys.
But over the past few weeks, spectators of WNBA games have taken to throwing rubber phalluses on the court during games.
And so, here we are.
I’m not going to pretend I’ve been a solemn moralist about this from the start. Like many of you, my group texts lit up with this story. The memes? Outstanding. Some of the best work the internet has produced in months. Humor has a way of finding you in moments of absurdity, and I laughed out loud.
But somewhere between a chuckle and a thousand retweets, we blew past a very obvious line.
There’s a difference between laughing about something and endorsing the thing itself. And this? This isn’t streaking, where the joke is on the guy who gets embarrassed, tackled, and escorted out. This is a targeted attempt to humiliate the athletes playing. It’s not about the clown in the stands — it’s about degrading the women on the court.
And one can all but guarantee it’s been men every single time. No woman is throwing this. We’ve all been to enough sporting events to know this is some guy in his late twenties, liquored up, in ripped jeans. Or, as <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/nyc-man-wearing-beavis-butthead-064652224.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new images</a> have exposed the first person to be caught, a guy in a Beavis and Butthead shirt. This stuff writes itself.
Spoiler: this guy’s not a hero. He’s a creep.
He’s also not an athlete — his toss didn’t make it to the court, and instead <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/12-year-old-girl-struck-sex-toy-thrown-wnba-game-brooklyn-suspect-soug-rcna224292" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck a 12-year-old girl</a> who proceeded to “freak out.”
As of this writing, we’ve had four of these incidents, not counting the one above. They’ve happened in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and most recently in Seattle. You could almost imagine Vegas laying odds on it, and in fact, they have. According to Legal Sports Betting and SCCG Management, prop bets have included:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will the next dildo still be green? — Yes at –200, No at +150.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Color odds: rainbow at +500, pink at +300, blue at +1400.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Even wagers on how it gets removed—kicked off the court vs. picked up by hand, both around –120.</li>
</ul>
It’s the same energy as the “streaker” prop bet before the Super Bowl — except it makes an unwilling punchline out of the athletes on the court.
Here’s the awkward truth for WNBA fans: the stunt worked. It generated more buzz for the league than any actual highlight this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if Google search trends for “WNBA” spiked higher in those moments than they did for last year’s Finals. On one level, you could call it a marketing success story. On the other hand, you could call it what it is — a sad commentary on the state of sports attention spans.
The players themselves have been clear. Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams called it “super disrespectful,” and “really immature,” and said that “whoever is doing it needs to grow up.” Sophie Cunningham took to social media: “Stop throwing dildos on the court … you’re going to hurt one of us.” Cecilia Zandalasini, who had to keep playing through one of the incidents, said, “I’ve never seen anything like that … we stayed locked in.”
Imagine working your entire life to reach the top of your sport — grueling training, constant travel, the pressure of competing at the highest level — and now that you’ve made it, instead of talking about a game-winning three, you have to talk about people chucking sex toys at you.
The WNBA isn’t my go-to watch. But that’s irrelevant here. Respect is not conditional on entertainment value. I don’t have to love your sport to acknowledge your dignity as a professional athlete. And a woman!
This also isn’t happening in a vacuum. Kids go to these games. Parents bring their daughters to watch their heroes in action, to dream about someday playing on that same court. What does it say about our society if those kids have to watch security scramble to clean up a sex toy, or worse, duck out of the way as one flies through the air?
To the inevitable “lighten up, it’s just a joke” crowd — no. There’s a baseline of decency that keeps sports a place where everyone can enjoy themselves. We used to know this instinctively. But now we’re so addicted to viral moments that the only question is whether someone caught it on their phone.
Again, I’m no prude. I’ve laughed at this. I’ve probably laughed harder than I should have. But part of being an adult is knowing when the joke has gone too far. We live in a culture that already does enough to cheapen sex, mock boundaries, and chip away at basic respect. We don’t need to import that into women’s basketball.
The irony is impossible to ignore. For years, women’s sports advocates have been fighting to protect female athletes from unfair competition — most of it coming from men trying to insert themselves, literally, into the women’s category. Now, they’re being forced to dodge rubber reminders of that fight mid-game.
This whole situation has been fun, but it’s time to bring the national conversation back to things that matter. If we’re talking about women’s sports, we should be talking about removing male anatomy from women’s sports, not flinging rubber replicas onto the hardwood.
Because once the gag becomes more important than the game, we’re no longer sports fans. We’re just another symptom of the cultural rot we claim to be laughing at.
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

WNBA Finals – Game Four

The WNBA Sex Toy Incident Was Funny. But It’s Gone Too Far.

Sports

WNBA

Women's sports

Fans have thrown sex toys onto the court during WNBA games on three different occasions this past week.
Most recently, Indiana Fever standout Sophie Cunningham was the first to notice a bright green device on the court when her team faced off against the Los Angeles Sparks. The incident occurred after a free throw, right before halftime.
The culprit <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6537792/2025/08/06/sophie-cunningham-sex-toy-wnba-indiana-fever/">fled the arena</a> after throwing the sex toy, according to security personnel.
Clay Travis, the founder of Outkick, commented on the trend and posted video of the latest incident on X. &#8220;A third green d**** has been thrown at a WNBA game!&#8221; he said. &#8220;This time in LA. Atlanta, Chicago and LA now. It appears the d**** may have lightly grazed Sophie Cunningham who tweeted not to hit players with the d*****. This is an all time story. This league!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A third green dildo has been thrown at a WNBA game! This time in LA. Atlanta, Chicago and LA now. It appears the dildo may have lightly grazed Sophie Cunningham who tweeted not to hit players with the dildos. This is an all time story. This league! <a href="https://t.co/zlXUGeOCFf">pic.twitter.com/zlXUGeOCFf</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1952928274419527901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts called the trend &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; &#8220;dumb,&#8221; and &#8220;stupid.&#8221;
“It’s also dangerous,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6537792/2025/08/06/sophie-cunningham-sex-toy-wnba-indiana-fever/">said</a>. &#8220;Player safety is number one, respecting the game, all those things. I think it’s really stupid.”
As noted by Travis, Cunningham seemed to crack a joke about the trend earlier in the week, posting on X, &#8220;stop throwing d****s on the court… you’re going to hurt one of us.&#8221; The post received more than 36 million views.
Following the incident during the Fever/Sparks game, Cunningham noted the post &#8220;did NOT age well.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
this did NOT age well. <a href="https://t.co/K1WGbOWEjJ">https://t.co/K1WGbOWEjJ</a>
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/sophaller/status/1952962130912919737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
On Tuesday, someone threw a similarly green sex toy onto the court during a Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Someone threw a green dildo on the court during a WNBA game tonight. <a href="https://t.co/mFSESW6cfE">pic.twitter.com/mFSESW6cfE</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1950383302126567831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
The trend has been so widely commented on that people can now actually bet on the color of the next sex toy to be thrown onto the WNBA court.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You can now bet on what color the next dildo thrown on a WNBA court will be. <a href="https://t.co/8il9I85dJi">pic.twitter.com/8il9I85dJi</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1951709251904430566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
The WNBA, though, is not finding the trend so comical, for obvious reasons. So far, at least one person has been arrested for pulling the stunt. The WNBA said in a statement that any person throwing objects onto the court will be ejected and banned from league games for one year.
“The safety and well-being of everyone in our arenas is a top priority for our league,” the statement said. “Objects of any kind thrown onto the court or in the seating area can pose a safety risk for players, game officials, and fans. In line with WNBA Arena Security Standards, any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-players-ruthlessly-mocked-for-equal-pay-t-shirts?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WNBA+Players+Ruthlessly+Mocked+For+Equal+Pay+T-Shirts">WNBA Players Ruthlessly Mocked For Equal Pay T-Shirts</a>

Indiana Fever v Los Angeles Sparks

Fans Keep Throwing Sex Toys On Court During WNBA Games

Caitlin Clark

America First Policy Institute (AFPI) filed a <a href="https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/assets/uploads/files/Oregon-1a-case-072325.pdf">federal lawsuit</a> against the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) on Wednesday, standing up for two female athletes who were relegated to the sidelines when they silently protested being forced to share the medals podium with a male athlete.
Jessica Hart Steinmann, executive general counsel at AFPI, <a href="https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-sues-oregon-school-activities-association-for-silencing-female-athletes-first-amendment-rights">explained</a> the lawsuit filed on behalf of Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard, who earned 3rd and 4th place medals in the high jump at the 2025 state championship meet.
&#8220;These young women earned their place on the podium—and the right to express themselves,&#8221; Steinmann said. &#8220;Instead of respecting their viewpoint that girls’ sports should be for girls only, Oregon officials sidelined them. The First Amendment protects the right to dissent—school officials don’t get to reprimand students who refuse to agree with their beliefs.&#8221;
The complaint alleges that the OSAA has a long history of supporting student protests when the cause aligns with officials&#8217; political views — Black Lives Matter, for example — but selectively discriminated against Anderson and Eckard. It also alleges that the trans-identifying athletes were given special privileges at that particular meet, &#8220;allowing them to skip inspection protocols and competition rules that female athletes were required to follow.&#8221;
Following their events at the state championship meet at the end of May, Eckard and Anderson refused to step onto the medals podium alongside the trans-identifying athlete — who had tied for fifth place. Instead, they turned their backs on the podium and stood behind it. As soon as officials realized what they were doing, they were waved off to the side.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Oregon girls high jump state championships just finished. 2 of the females refused to step on the podium with the male competitor and an adult official relegated them to the sideline for refusing. THIS MUST END. <a href="https://t.co/dxIzL8Qf95">https://t.co/dxIzL8Qf95</a> <a href="https://t.co/mAVVNBIPhW">pic.twitter.com/mAVVNBIPhW</a>
— Leigh Ann O&#8217;Neill (@LaLONeill) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLONeill/status/1928961098419450113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Anderson later said in a statement to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/girls-track-field-athletes-dont-stand-podium-next-trans-athlete-oregon-state-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a>, &#8220;We didn’t refuse to stand on the podium out of hate. We did it because someone has to say this isn’t right. In order to protect the integrity and fairness of girls [sic] sports we must stand up for what is right.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trans-track-athlete-wins-varsity-girls-competition-previously-placing-last-against-jv-boys-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trans-identifying athlete</a> — who now goes by the name Lia Rose — previously competed on the boys team as Zachary Rose in 2023, where he took 11th place out of 11 competitors in the JV high jump event.

Athlete woman doing high jump

Lawsuit Targets Oregon Officials Who Shut Down Female Athletes Protesting Male Competitor

Lawsuit Targets Officials Who Shut Down Oregon Track Athletes For Protesting Male Competitors

Gender Identity

gender ideology

Politics

Track and Field

Transgender Athletes

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee quietly changed its policy this week to comply with President Donald Trump&#8217;s executive order and ban men from competing against women.
The move marks another major win for conservatives and the Trump administration, who have fought to protect women&#8217;s sports. The committee, which posted an update to its Athlete Safety Policy on Monday, stated that it would &#8220;continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities &#8230; to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201 and the Ted Stevens Olympic &amp; Amateur Sports Act,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/olympics/us-olympic-paralympic-committee-will-comply-trumps-ban-transgender-wom-rcna220369">reported</a>.
Executive Order 14201 refers to Trump&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/">Keeping Men Out of Women&#8217;s Sports</a>&#8221; action that he signed on February 5. The U.S. Olympic Committee&#8217;s updated policy flew under the radar when the change was made on Monday since it does not mention the word &#8220;transgender&#8221; in any of its 27 pages. The committee confirmed that the men are now banned from competing against women, saying it held “a series of respectful and constructive conversations with federal officials” after Trump signed the executive order, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/us/politics/us-olympics-trans-women-athletes-ban-trump.html">The New York Times</a>.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee&#8217;s decision doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean that other countries will prevent men from competing in women&#8217;s sports, but the committee said it would work with international groups, such as the International Olympic Committee, to focus on providing safe and fair environments for women. The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in the United States under Trump&#8217;s watch in 2028. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be hosted by Italy.
In the 2024 Summer Games, Imane Khelif of Algeria, a boxer who had failed gender tests, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boxer-who-failed-gender-tests-wins-gold-in-womens-boxing-without-dropping-single-round-entire-olympic-run">dominated</a> the women&#8217;s welterweight division and won the gold medal. Khelif&#8217;s success in Paris drew outrage across the globe. In 2021, trans-identifying man Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand competed against women in weightlifting in the Tokyo Games, but Hubbard did not compete in Paris. Chelsea Wolfe, a man who identifies as a woman, was also at the Tokyo Olympics as a reserve cyclist for the U.S. women’s BMX Freestyle team.
Recent <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/poll-americans-oppose-trans-women-competing-female-sports-2-3-gen-z-rcna203658">polling</a> from NBC News showed that a vast majority (75%) of Americans do not want trans-identifying men competing against women in female sports. That included two out of three people in Gen Z, who want women&#8217;s sports to be protected from men.

U.S. Olympics

U.S. Olympic Committee Bans Men In Women’s Sports

Donald Trump

Olympics

Transgender

U.S.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was unable to definitively provide an answer when he was asked if a child who is eight years old is too young to undergo irreversible transgender procedures.
Newsom, who appears to be ramping up his 2028 presidential campaign efforts, joined podcast host Shawn Ryan this week and was asked point-blank about his personal views on so-called &#8220;gender-affirming care.&#8221;
“What about for your values, is eight years old too young?&#8221; Ryan asked Newsom. 
&#8220;Yeah, I mean look, now that I have a 9-year-old — just became nine. Come on, man, I get it,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;So those are legit — it&#8217;s interesting, the issue of age, I haven&#8217;t &#8230; As someone that&#8217;s been so focused on equality, broadly — LGBT rights, particularly, though, gay marriage. The trans issue for me is also novel — it&#8217;s over the last few years, I&#8217;m trying to understand as much as anyone else. The whole pronoun thing, trying to understand all of that. That was like — all that stuff, I get it. All this stuff started to collapse on us.&#8221;
&#8220;On the issue of children, this is a tough, tough issue,&#8221; the governor added.
Newsom later said that he&#8217;s coming to this issue &#8220;more open-minded than I&#8217;ve ever been,&#8221; but also suggested he didn&#8217;t take it seriously early on because conservatives, whom he &#8220;didn&#8217;t respect,&#8221; opposed it.
&#8220;A lot of the pushback came from folks, candidly, that I didn&#8217;t respect, that never respected the gay community, period,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;They were people who were opposed to just basic rights, &#8230; so I think that my next inclination was to dismiss, and now I recognize more fully and deeply. And I think the sports issue really opened that door for me.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ryan: Is 8 years old too young for a sex change?
Newsom: Yeah&#8230; Now that I have a 9-year-old, come on man, I get it. <a href="https://t.co/aCSFvwrg9V">pic.twitter.com/aCSFvwrg9V</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1944858509679472709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Notably, Newsom made California the first “<a href="https://www.kqed.org/news/11929233/california-becomes-first-sanctuary-state-for-transgender-youth-seeking-medical-care">sanctuary state</a>” for transgender-identifying minors seeking these life-altering surgeries. The state also has policies that allow teachers to shield parents from knowing about their child&#8217;s &#8220;gender transition.&#8221; 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-anti-gun-at-all-newsoms-latest-attempt-to-disguise-his-rampant-leftism?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘Not+Anti-Gun+At+All’%3A+Newsom’s+Latest+Attempt+To+Disguise+His+Rampant+Leftism">‘Not Anti-Gun At All’: Newsom’s Latest Attempt To Disguise His Rampant Leftism</a>

Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom Can’t Say Whether Eight Is Too Young To ‘Transition’ Genders

Newsom Asked If 8 Years Old Is Too Young To ‘Transition.’ He Can’t Answer. 

California

Elections

minors

transgender surgery

Transgenders

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it will sue the state of California for alleged violations of Title IX, in reference to keeping men out of women’s sports.
“Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-california-violating-title-ix-denying-girls-athletic-opportunities">statement</a>. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Actions have consequences—suit filed! California won’t get away with allowing males to take girls’ athletic opportunities away. Stay tuned for more! <a href="https://t.co/lsgSgEg9qI">pic.twitter.com/lsgSgEg9qI</a>
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/1942991236618420513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Monday, California rejected the resolution agreement from the Trump administration to follow federal law and ban transgender-identifying males from competing athletically with females.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) aligned itself with the California Department of Education (CDE) and refused to sign the resolution agreement. The resolution was proposed on June 25, when the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the conclusion of its Title IX investigations into the state for allegations of discrimination against women and girls on the basis of sex.
Federal officials found that California was in clear violation of Title IX.
“As a result of the noncompliance finding, OCR has issued a proposed Resolution Agreement to CDE and CIF to resolve their Title IX violations,” the U.S. Department of Education <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-finds-california-department-of-education-and-california-interscholastic-federation-violation-of-title-ix">said</a> in a press release issued last month. “OCR has offered both entities an opportunity to voluntarily agree to change these unlawful practices within 10 days or risk imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings.
In March, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, in a move widely regarded as an attempt to distance himself from his leftist record and position himself for a future presidential run, <a href="https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/03/newsom-transgender-athletes/">claimed</a> on his podcast that he opposed men competing in women&#8217;s sports. When criticisms were made of a high school boy who had won a regional meet, Newsom responded, “I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair. I’m not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
The lawsuit filed by the DOJ reportedly cited Newsom’s own words, that biological males competing in women’s sports was “deeply unfair.”
The Justice Department slammed policies that “eviscerate equal athletic opportunities for girls &#8230; they also require girls to share intimate spaces, such as locker rooms, with boys, causing a hostile educational environment that denies girls educational opportunities,” Fox News’s Dana Perino <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6375448094112">reported</a>.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated to Perino, “We investigated this; the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education investigated. We told Governor Newsom that we’d be investigating these violations. We found California to be in violation of Title IX; we turned it over to the Justice Department, and they announced this morning that they were filing suit against California.&#8221;
“This is something President Trump campaigned on; his ‘Promises made, promises kept,” she said, adding, “It is the law. The president means business with it.”

President Trump Signs No Men In Women’s Sports Executive Order

‘The President Means Business’: Trump Admin Sues California Over Transgender Athlete Policy

Courts

Title IX

California on Monday rejected the resolution agreement from the Trump administration to follow federal law and keep men out of women&#8217;s sports.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) aligned itself with the California Department of Education (CDE) and refused to sign the resolution agreement. The resolution was proposed on June 25, when the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the conclusion of its Title IX investigations into the state for allegations of discrimination against women and girls on the basis of sex.
Federal officials found that California was in clear violation of Title IX.
“As a result of the noncompliance finding, OCR has issued a proposed Resolution Agreement to CDE and CIF to resolve their Title IX violations,” the U.S. Department of Education <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-finds-california-department-of-education-and-california-interscholastic-federation-violation-of-title-ix">said</a> in a press release issued last month. “OCR has offered both entities an opportunity to voluntarily agree to change these unlawful practices within 10 days or risk imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings.
In March, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, in a move widely regarded as an attempt to distance himself from his leftist record and position himself for a future presidential run, <a href="https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/03/newsom-transgender-athletes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> on his podcast that he opposed men competing in women&#8217;s sports. When criticisms were made of a high school boy who had won a regional meet, Newsom responded, “I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair. I’m not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
After the CIF informed the CDE on Monday that it would not sign the resolution agreement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote on X, “Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that ‘it’s an issue of fairness’ was empty political grandstanding,” adding, &#8220;You&#8217;ll be hearing from (Attorney General Pam Bondi).&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women&#8217;s sports.
Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that “it’s an issue of fairness” was empty political grandstanding.<a href="https://twitter.com/CAgovernor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CAgovernor</a>, you&#8217;ll be hearing from <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a>. <a href="https://t.co/wa945HtmG6">pic.twitter.com/wa945HtmG6</a>
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1942299613387522437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The technical term for what California just did is ‘FA.’ Stay tuned for the rest of the equation,” Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Civil Rights, posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The technical term for what California just did is “FA.” Stay tuned for the rest of the equation. <a href="https://t.co/Yh9rulFhec">https://t.co/Yh9rulFhec</a>
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarmeetKDhillon/status/1942399648443904360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On June 25, McMahon noted:
<blockquote>
Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was “deeply unfair” to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions. The Trump Administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law. The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow.
</blockquote>

MixCollage-08-Jul-2025-05-20-AM-826

California Rejects Title IX Plan To Keep Boys Out Of Girls’ Sports: ‘You’ll Be Hearing From Bondi’

Crime

Harmeet Dhillon

Pam Bondi

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear two cases revolving around state laws keeping transgender-identifying males out of women’s sports. 
The court is set to consider cases out of Idaho and West Virginia, where laws banning males who identify as women from participating in women&#8217;s and girls&#8217; sports were blocked by lower courts. The news comes just weeks after the high court ruled 6-3 in favor of a Tennessee law that banned transgender medical procedures on minors. 
At issue in the cases are West Virginia’s “Save Women’s Sports Act” and Idaho’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.&#8221;
 In West Virginia, a parent sued to block the 2021 law, arguing that her transgender-identifying son was being discriminated against because he was not allowed on the girls&#8217; cross country team. In Idaho, a transgender-identifying male sued because he wouldn&#8217;t be allowed to join Boise State University&#8217;s women&#8217;s track team under the state&#8217;s law. 
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West Virginia’s law was blocked by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in April 2024, and Idaho’s law was blocked by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in August 2023. The attorneys general of both states celebrated the court’s decision to take up the case. 
“It’s a great day, as female athletes in West Virginia will have their voices heard. The people of West Virginia know that it’s unfair to let male athletes compete against women; that’s why we passed this commonsense law preserving women&#8217;s sports for women,” said West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey. “We are confident the Supreme Court will uphold the Save Women&#8217;s Sports Act because it complies with the U.S. Constitution and complies with Title IX. And most importantly: it protects women and girls by ensuring the playing field is safe and fair.&#8221;
Idaho was the first state to pass a law intended to exclude males from competing in women&#8217;s sports in 2020.
“Idaho’s women and girls deserve an equal playing field,” added Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “I am thrilled the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear our case. For too long, activists have worked to sideline women and girls in their own sports. Men and women are biologically different, and we hope the court will allow states to end this injustice and ensure men no longer create a dangerous, unfair environment for women to showcase their incredible talent and pursue the equal opportunities they deserve.”
More than two dozen states have enacted laws similar to those in Idaho and West Virginia, and courts have blocked full implementation in other states, including New Hampshire, Utah, and Montana.

Transgender Rights Advocates Rally Against The Supreme Court’s Ban On Gender-Affirming Youth Care

Red States Set To Defend Women’s Sports At Supreme Court

Idaho

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

West Virginia

Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines thanked President Donald Trump for defending women in sports and for bringing about a deal that resulted in the University of Pennsylvania apologizing for the damage wrought by its decision to allow a trans-identifying male swimmer to compete as a member of its women&#8217;s team.
The agreement also saw Lia (formerly William) Thomas stripped of medals and the records returned to the women who had rightfully earned them — including Gaines, who famously tied with Thomas for fifth place in the 200 freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
&#8220;UPenn has agreed to right its wrongs, restore records to the rightful female athletes, and issue an apology to the women impacted by the man they allowed to compete as a woman. Are pigs flying? God bless @realDonaldTrump,&#8221; Gaines wrote in a post on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPenn has agreed to right its wrongs, restore records to the rightful female athletes, and issue an apology to the women impacted by the man they allowed to compete as a woman.
Are pigs flying?
God bless <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>. <a href="https://t.co/PZxcieyp7m">pic.twitter.com/PZxcieyp7m</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1940187628021694922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But even as Gaines was thanking Trump for his administration&#8217;s efforts to protect women in athletics, others were pointing out the fact that if Gaines herself had not been one of the first to take a stand — to protect herself and other women and girls — that the result she saw on Tuesday might never have been realized.
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&#8220;UPenn caves after federal investigation into Lia Thomas, and will now enforce Trump’s mandate to BAN men from women’s sports. This is a major win for women everywhere. And it wouldn’t have happened without Riley Gaines. She fought hard and now the tide is turning,&#8221; conservative podcast host Benny Johnson posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPenn caves after federal investigation into Lia Thomas, and will now enforce Trump’s mandate to BAN men from women’s sports.
This is a major win for women everywhere. And it wouldn’t have happened without Riley Gaines. She fought hard and now the tide is turning. 👊🏻🔥 <a href="https://t.co/rlkgdvIWEz">pic.twitter.com/rlkgdvIWEz</a>
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1940165174364876875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Paula Scanlan, a teammate of Thomas&#8217; at UPenn, spoke out even after being told by school officials to simply shut up and swim. She credits Gaines with helping her to take a stand.
&#8220;I wanted to take a quick moment to thank @Riley_Gaines_. She’s become the teammate I wish I had in college. I was silenced, bullied and unsupported by my teammates and my university. Today and everyday, I’m grateful for our friendship and how much she’s helped me grow,&#8221; Scanlan posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I wanted to take a quick moment to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a>
She’s become the teammate I wish I had in college. I was silenced, bullied and unsupported by my teammates and my university.
Today and everyday, I’m grateful for our friendship and how much she’s helped me grow ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/u1RljDLuue">pic.twitter.com/u1RljDLuue</a>
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulaYScanlan/status/1940217285819691464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Former champion gymnast and XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey added, &#8220;UPenn rescinded all of the accolades given to Will Thomas because we have FREEDOM OF SPEECH in the US. @PaulaYScanlan @Riley_Gaines_ @xx_xyathletics and many others spoke out about the injustice. It made a difference in the end. Happy independence day (sic)!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPenn rescinded all of the accolades given to Will Thomas because we have FREEDOM OF SPEECH in the US. <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulaYScanlan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaulaYScanlan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/xx_xyathletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xx_xyathletics</a> and many others spoke out about the injustice.
It made a difference in the end.
Happy independence day! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/tqpOu7dzsO">pic.twitter.com/tqpOu7dzsO</a>
— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferSey/status/1940417391495684602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It’s wild that there is a percentage of people brainwashed by their religion (liberalism) to believe it’s &#8216;evil&#8217; to stop people w/ testicles from violating women &amp; dominating their sports. Anyway, shoutout @Riley_Gaines_ for trailblazing on this issue when it was unpopular,&#8221; Jason Howerton added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s wild that there is a percentage of people brainwashed by their religion (liberalism) to believe it’s “evil” to stop people w/ testicles from violating women &amp; dominating their sports.
Anyway, shoutout <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a> for trailblazing on this issue when it was unpopular <a href="https://t.co/8eu3d4q3mC">pic.twitter.com/8eu3d4q3mC</a>
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) <a href="https://twitter.com/jason_howerton/status/1940233088011051510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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NCAA SWIMMING: MAR 18 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships

‘Are Pigs Flying?’: Riley Gaines Praises Trump As UPenn Strips Records From Trans Swimmer

‘Are Pigs Flying?’: Riley Gaines Praises Trump As UPenn Strips Records, Titles From Trans Swimmer

Executive

Lia Thomas

NCAA

Riley Gaines

Social Issues

University of Pennsylvania

Women's Swimming

The &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; moves one step closer to the president’s desk, the Supreme Court hands Trump a major victory, and is transgender-mania coming to an end? Get the facts first with Morning Wire.
It’s Monday, June 30, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The Big Beautiful Bill Advances &amp; Trump’s SCOTUS Victory | 6.30.25" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nr17vsGTsfM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>The &#8216;Big Beautiful Bill&#8217; Advances Through The Senate</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-941037" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-1-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-1-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-1-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-1.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The &#8220;Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; clears a key hurdle as President Donald Trump touts a trade deal with China.
The &#8220;Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; moved one step closer to passage this weekend as Republican lawmakers push the president’s signature legislation to the finish line. This bill includes the bulk of President Trump’s agenda. Among other things, it will make his first-term tax cuts permanent, eliminate taxes on most tips, overtime pay, and Social Security payouts, increase funding for border security, and remove federal benefits from millions of illegal immigrants.
The House passed its version of the bill back in May, but the Senate has been debating it ever since, with serious fractures emerging, as a few moderate and hardline conservatives held out, debating issues such as Medicaid cuts and deficit spending. But after a number of tweaks and amendments, the &#8220;Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; crossed a major procedural hurdle when the chamber voted 51-49 late Saturday night to advance the bill to the floor for final debates. 
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GOP leaders say the goal is to hold a final vote as early as Monday, but Democrats are doing everything in their power to stall the process. For example, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) utilized an obscure Senate rule to require clerks to read the entire 940-page bill aloud on the floor, which delayed proceedings by approximately 15 hours. Democrats will also introduce a number of amendments on issues such as tax cuts for the wealthy and protections for Medicaid and food stamp funding — they know those measures will likely fail, but want to put Republicans on the record ahead of the midterms. 
Republicans say Democrats can only stall for so long, and they’re confident the &#8220;Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; will pass — at which point it’ll return to the House for another final vote, and then make its way to the president’s desk. Trump has requested that it be ready by the 4th of July.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced that a deal had been reached with Beijing that would allow Chinese rare earth minerals to once again be exported to the United States in exchange for Washington easing a number of tariffs and other restrictions on the communist nation. While the White House has rushed to open up domestic mines in the United States, this process will take time, and China accounts for approximately 70% of global rare earth mineral production.
By contrast, tariff negotiations with Canada appear to have soured. On Friday, President Trump announced that he had terminated discussions with Canada “effective immediately” after it announced plans for a new digital tax that will cost American tech companies billions of dollars. In a Truth Social post, the president called the new tax a “direct and blatant attack on our Country” and vowed to “let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States” in the next week. In response, Canada has imposed new quotas on American steel imports and a 50% tariff on any additional steel entering the country.
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<h2>SCOTUS Curbs Nationwide Injunctions From Lower Courts</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-941041" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-2-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-2-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-2-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-2-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-2-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-2.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Supreme Court issues another landmark ruling on judicial overreach.
Trump vs. Casa, nominally a case about birthright citizenship ultimately centered on the authority of lower federal courts to issue nationwide, or “universal” injunctions, which block the federal government from implementing a policy across the entire country rather than providing narrow relief to the specific plaintiffs of a case. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that, at least in most cases, lower courts do not have the power to issue such injunctions.
That has massive implications for the implementation of President Trump’s agenda; more than 100 universal injunctions have been issued against the Trump administration – including 40 in his second term – and the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/five-liberal-courts-tied-trumps-hands-before-scotus-clipped-power">bulk </a>of those have come from judges appointed by Democrats. Trump has argued that these decisions were politically motivated, that allowing any one of hundreds of federal judges to contradict executive policy violated the constitutional separation of powers, and that activists were deliberately filing cases in districts with left-leaning judges to hamstring his administration. After the ruling, President Trump lauded the “amazing decision,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-trump-limits-nationwide-injunctions-in-birthright-citizenship-fight">saying,</a> “This is a very big moment, and it gives power back to people that should have it.”
Casa began as an attempt to challenge Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens. That order is called “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” and it argues that the Fourteenth Amendment “has always excluded” those who were born in the United States “but not ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’&#8217;’ The most relevant precedent, United States v. Wong Kim Ark in 1898, affirmed that the children of immigrants born on American soil are granted birthright citizenship – generally it has been assumed that that precedent applies to the children of illegal aliens as well, although the Supreme Court has not ruled on that definitively and chose not to in Trump vs. Casa.
In the majority opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that “federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them. When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.”
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<h2>Title IX Vs Gender Ideology</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-941039" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-3-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-3-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-3-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-3-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-3-1536x864.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/6.30.25-Segment-Header-3.png 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The era of transgender-mania might be waning. We have the latest on the debate over women&#8217;s sports.
The federal government has become far less accommodating to gender ideology since President Trump took office. Earlier this month, the Trump administration renamed June from “Pride Month” to “Title IX Month” — honoring the civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools. The president also acknowledged the difference between the sexes with several executive orders when he took office — he barred males in women’s sports at schools, and he prohibited schools from allowing kids to use the bathrooms of the opposite gender.
In a major win for women’s sports advocates, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) changed its transgender athlete policy to allow only biological females to compete in women’s sports.
Public discourse on the issue has also undergone significant changes. Earlier this month, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles got into an online altercation with Riley Gaines, the college swimmer who was forced to give up her trophy to trans-identifying male competitor Lia Thomas. Biles attacked Gaines over her work trying to keep men out of women’s sports, and she even insulted her, telling Gaines she looked like a man. In response, Biles faced a tremendous amount of backlash – she ultimately apologized to Gaines before deleting her X account altogether.
Even leftist enclaves are under increasing pressure, from within and without, to protect women’s sports. Last week, Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills, who has fought the Trump administration to keep trans-identifying athletes in women’s sports, was <a href="https://x.com/TONYxTWO/status/1936968005952630830">booed</a> by residents of her state when she spoke at the annual Maine Moose Lottery. On Wednesday, the Department of Education stated that it has found California to be in violation of Title IX by allowing males to participate in girls’ sports. Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that California has 10 days to rectify its violations. This comes after even California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom admitted on a podcast that males in women’s sports is “deeply unfair.”

MRN 6.30.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Nears Finish Line, SCOTUS Reins In Judicial Overreach

Media

Morning Wire

U.S. Senate

It seems the whole world is rethinking the transgender procedures for kids.
Peer-reviewed studies show their long-term harm. European countries are moving to ban the practice. And just last week, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Skrmetti that Tennessee&#8217;s law banning trans procedures for minors could stand. That landmark decision opens the door for future bans, and even caused The New York Times to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/magazine/scotus-transgender-care-tennessee-skrmetti.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QE8.7tVl.6ppovQTiJISu&amp;smid=url-share">warn</a> that the case may have &#8220;set the movement back a generation.&#8221;
But one group simply refuses to back down: the American medical establishment.
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently reaffirmed its commitment to performing transgender procedures on minors, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-largest-medical-association-sides-with-child-mutilation-after-scotus-ruling">The Daily Wire</a> recently chronicled.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump tells NATO members to up their defense spending, a Democratic Socialist pulls ahead in NYC’s mayoral race, and the American Medical Association doubles down on transgender medical procedures for minors. Get the facts first with Morning Wire. Reporting from… <a href="https://t.co/RCSuhDIXpW">pic.twitter.com/RCSuhDIXpW</a>
— Morning Wire (@MorningWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorningWire/status/1937790366306165242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
They&#8217;re joined by a coalition of groups that essentially represent the entirety of the American medical establishment — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — to say nothing of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which has long been at the forefront of the effort to make transgender procedures available to children.
<div id="attachment_940793" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-940793" class="wp-image-940793 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-1.54.13-PM-1024x569.png" alt="" width="1024" height="569" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-1.54.13-PM-1024x569.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-1.54.13-PM-300x167.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-1.54.13-PM-768x427.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-1.54.13-PM.png 1338w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />American Medical Association</div>
The AMA&#8217;s new president, <a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/bobby-mukkamala-sworn-ama-president-william-underwood-iii-chosen-president-elect">Dr. Bobby Mukkamala</a>, condemned Skrmetti, <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-statement-united-states-v-skrmetti">saying</a> without a hint of irony that “all patients deserve access to high-quality, evidence-based medical care.” He added that decisions about medical treatment “must be made through a shared decision-making process between the patient and their physician.”
<div id="attachment_940787" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-940787" class="wp-image-940787 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1749382842-864x576.jpg" alt="(L-R) Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, President of the American Medical Association; PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond; Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Charlotte Clymer, writer, transgender activist, and military veteran attend Learning With Love: The 2023 PFLAG National Convention, four days of educating, lobbying, networking, and leading with love, taking place October 19-22, 2023 in Washington, DC. " width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1749382842-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1749382842-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1749382842-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1749382842.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Paul Morigi/Getty Images for PFLAG National</div>
Though the AMA has new leadership, the support for transgender procedures for children goes back years. About a year and a half ago, the AMA hosted a conversation on “what doctors should know&#8221; about so-called trans teens. The conversation was jarring, with one doctor claiming a child can know their gender is apparently wrong by age four. 
&#8220;What we know about gender formation for all human beings is that young people really do know their gender by about age four,&#8221; Dr. M. Brett Cooper <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nOdEIdwTZY">said</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s that young female assigned at birth that says, &#8216;Mom, I am a boy,&#8217; or, &#8216;Mom, I&#8217;m like my brother. I&#8217;m a boy too.&#8217; And they keep saying that, over and over and over again. Those are the folks that likely, but not always, will have a very firm gender diverse identity.” 
Notably, in October 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-stops-texas-doctors-who-illegally-gave-children-gender-transition-drugs">sued</a> Cooper, as well as other doctors, for prescribing “gender transition” drugs to dozens of Texas children in violation of Texas law.
In 2023, the AMA passed a resolution to commit to working with legislators to oppose policies that curb access to these treatments or prioritize parental rights. The resolution also promised collaboration with other organizations to “educate the Federation of State Medical Boards about the importance of gender-affirming care.”
The group also enthusiastically supported Dr. Rachel Levine’s nomination as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. Levine, a male who identifies as a woman, is a proponent of all types of trans drugs and procedures for minors, and once talked about children going through the “wrong puberty.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Levine — who transitioned *as an adult* — dismisses the question of why children can’t wait until they turn 18 to pursue sex change surgeries:
“Adolescence is hard and puberty is hard. What if you’re going through the wrong puberty?”
This… <a href="https://t.co/vJAIwKE6Vl">pic.twitter.com/vJAIwKE6Vl</a>
— Nicki Neily (@nickineily) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickineily/status/1681291320755617797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, the gap between the American people and the medical establishment is continuing to widen. According to a recent New York Times and Ipsos <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/us/politics/trump-policies-immigration-tariffs-economy.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">poll</a>, 71% of Americans believe children under the age of 18 should not be prescribed puberty blockers or hormones. 
Fortunately for them, medical professionals who disagree with their profession&#8217;s trade groups are speaking out, and forming organizations that call for evidence-based medicine.
One group, <a href="https://donoharmmedicine.org/gender-ideology/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=20707841002&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAo-mml2sQ9TwnUgwBn1NT5HLq5klM&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwmenCBhA4EiwAtVjzmuvg61iE0bzkY3AdFxTDzjFXzrKJNEneUCsvx5AOfI8JSZ7LRQu5yxoCM_4QAvD_BwE">Do No Harm</a>, has 16,000 members and is fighting to “curtail the unscientific and individually harmful practice of so-called ‘gender affirming care.’” The Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, meanwhile, researches and questions trans procedures for minors and promotes non-invasive approaches for gender confusion, like psychotherapy. 
These groups have a strong ally in President Donald Trump, who ran on this issue, and gained massive support for opposing trans procedures for minors and protecting girls&#8217; sports. During his second week in office, Trump signed an executive order stating the United States will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support gender transitions for children. 
Now, his administration is joining the fight. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr-rescission-february-20-2025-notice-guidance.pdf">rescinded</a> Biden-era guidance that promoted trans procedures for minors. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a memo in April that the Department of Justice would consider prosecuting doctors for mutilating children under the guise of “trans care.” 
And, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-federal-trade-commission-is-setting-its-sights-on-transgender-procedures-on-kids">The Daily Wire</a> exclusively reported, the Federal Trade Commission will hold a workshop in July on transgender surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers.
An FTC memo said there’s reason to believe some doctors and medical providers are pushing these treatments on minors while “knowingly deceiving parents by exaggerating ‘benefits’ and downplaying&#8230;harmful side effects.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-fda-chief-pushes-for-major-shift-after-maha-report-chronic-disease-children">‘MAHA’ Report On Chronic Disease Will Cause Major Shift In Healthcare, FDA Chief Predicts</a>

Transgender hormone therapy

Inside The American Medical Establishment’s Bitter Refusal To Rethink Trans Procedures For Kids

Medical Establishment Continues To Promote Trans Procedures For Minors

American Medical Association

Skrmetti

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights ruled Wednesday that California violated Title IX by allowing men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s locker rooms.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-finds-california-department-of-education-and-california-interscholastic-federation-violation-of-title-ix">announced</a> the results of the office’s investigation on Wednesday.
“Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was ‘deeply unfair’ to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions.”
“The Trump administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,” McMahon said. “The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow,” she added.
<a href="https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/title-ix-and-sex-discrimination">Title IX</a> “prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.”
President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/">executive order</a> in January to formally recognize only two genders, based on a “fundamental and incontrovertible” reality. Under this framework, male participation in women’s sports counts as sex discrimination under Title IX. 
The following month, Trump signed another executive order to remove funding from states that violate Title IX. 
The California Interscholastic Federation responded in February by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/california-plans-continue-allowing-trans-athletes-compete-girls-sports-despite-trump-executive-order">declaring</a> it would continue to allow trans athletes to compete alongside women in accordance with state law.
 &#8220;The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences…consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records.”
California has 10 days to comply with Title IX and Trump’s executive order, or it will face “imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings,” and removal of federal education funds, the Education Department says.
The Office fo Civil Rights has also instructed California to “restore to female athletes all individual records, titles, and awards misappropriated by male athletes competing in female competitions,” and sent a personalized letter of apology to each female athlete affected, “for allowing her educational experience to be marred by sex discrimination.”
The state must also propose a monitoring plan to ensure that it continues to abide by Title IX.
California receives a tremendous amount of federal funding. In 2022, the state <a href="https://usafacts.org/answers/how-much-money-does-the-federal-government-provide-state-and-local-governments/state/california/">received</a> over $161 billion. Residents say they won’t look kindly on Newsom if he puts these funds at risk.
“Without these federal funds, California’s budget crisis would dramatically worsen, and California’s most vulnerable students would stand to lose crucial programs and support,” writes the <a href="https://californiapolicycenter.org/california-accepts-billions-in-federal-funds-for-education-while-defying-federal-law/">California Policy Center</a>. 
“Newsom and the California Department of Education should reassess their priorities and consider what California families want most: a quality education for the next generation.”

Linda McMahon

Department of Education Says California Violated Title IX, Threatens Legal Action

Department of Education

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