31 Comments
User's avatar
Patricia G. Barnes, J.D.'s avatar

As a former life-long Democrat who worked for women's rights to create college female sports and to elect female politicians, I am appalled that so many female Democratic politicians are working to subjugate women and girls to this idiotic trans delusion.

Expand full comment
Ollie Parks's avatar

Why is that, I wonder.

Have they fallen for the "poor trans kids" myth, in which even teen boys who aspire to be athletes are somehow helpless, vulnerable victims of transphobic haters?

Where is their sense of fairness?

Are they so deaf to centrist gender critical voices that they haven't heard that most gender-confused youth are likely to grow up gay if not indoctrinated into the gender identity cult?

Surely they have animus toward other types of male wrongdoers, such as the married man who's married to his career to the detriment of his loved ones; the deadbeat dad who doesn't pay child support; or the husband with the substance use disorder who will not admit he has a problem. Can't they see the similarities with the boys, teens and men who pretend to be women and steal their accomplishments from them?

Are they so open-minded that their brains have fallen out and they really believe that trans males are females?

Are they afraid of the progressives in their base and among their colleagues? Maybe that's the real reason. They care more about their careers than America's women.

Expand full comment
Sarah Barker's avatar

Many good questions. Probably a little of column A and a little of column B

Expand full comment
MarkS's avatar

"Have they fallen for the "poor trans kids" myth, in which even teen boys who aspire to be athletes are somehow helpless, vulnerable victims of transphobic haters?"

Yes.

"Are they so deaf to centrist gender critical voices"

Yes, those are right-wing haters, no attention is paid to them.

"Are they so open-minded that their brains have fallen out and they really believe that trans males are females?"

Yes. This is part of the religious cult belief system: each person has a "true gender" soul, and some were, sadly, "born in the wrong body".

"Are they afraid of the progressives in their base and among their colleagues? Maybe that's the real reason."

For some, yes. (Most are true believers though.) Seth Moulton (D Mass) made some Unapproved Remarks, and it was explained to him that he would be primaried and would lose in 2026 if he didn't back off. So he did, and voted against HR28 to prove that he was now safely back under the thumb of the transqueers.

"They care more about their careers than America's women."

Well of course! EVERYONE in Congress, both parties, sees Job One as STAYING in Congress. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can stand in the way of that highest goal.

Expand full comment
Frau Katze's avatar

Pushed by noisy activists. Well funded activists.

Expand full comment
Jenny Poyer Ackerman's avatar

Yes to all of the above, plus: I think they're terrified of their young adult kids, their kids' friends, and their interns and junior staffers. Gen Z and Alpha have somehow acquired the powers of the most ambitious tyrannical despots; that's how they came to run the Biden Administration. My theory is that they were worshipped, when they should have been raised, by their parents.

Expand full comment
BeadleBlog's avatar

I don't believe this is a delusion. I do believe it's purposeful and evil, and the dem politicians, along with too many republicans, go along because power is a drug, and they will do and say anything to stay in office. There's also the woman-hatred, from both men and women, that is fueling this squashing of female rights and protections.

Expand full comment
Betsy Warrior's avatar

Yes, yes and yes!

Expand full comment
Sally J's avatar

Dang, you write really well when you're angry.

Let's face it, most elected Democrats aren't stupid. They're digging in because they get money from transitioning profiteers and because the once moral and upstanding alphabet groups (lgbTQIAAA2S+, see what I did there?) that were built over decades to fight for same-sex marriage but flipped to destroying women's rights can still bring Democrats millions of votes.

We can fix all that by:

1) Primarying Democrats who stand by their men. The ads practically write themselves! (Genital inspections, trans girls banned from sport and other lies, damned lies and nonsense.)

2) Separating LGB from the TQ crazy. Start new groups!

3) Making sure girls and young women know we'll always support their rights, even if it means the worst candidate in our history gets to be President for four years. Ouch.

C'mon folks. The Trump EOs are literally using words we've spoken for years to describe the problem. Now it's up to us to make sure we're protecting kids while the chips fall.

Expand full comment
Francie Kraker Goodridge's avatar

As a two time Olympian in Track and Field (1968 and 1972) I happily let them do a cheek cell and hair follicle test to determine I was an XX female. When the IOC dropped the test they made a huge mistake. Prior to chromosome testing female athletes were in fact subjected to gynecological exams because it was the only way to determine that these were females and not males or “intersex” who have male testes and the huge advantages that gave these DSD individuals. I have been appalled at the lack of sympathy and understanding given to girls and women who have been forced to accept males in their sports and private spaces.

Expand full comment
Frau Katze's avatar

The Dems (and the left in general, as it’s similar here in Canada) have been captured by trans ideology (and a few other extreme ideas). I do not think that Trump would ever have been elected without this.

The Dems need to shed these ideas. They’re unpopular with everyone but the activist crowd.

Expand full comment
Linoak's avatar

“… you’ve gifted reality to a truly repugnant fail of a human, but that’s on you. You doomed our country because you would not admit this ideology is stupid and dangerous.”

This. Fellow Dems I know are angry at the switchers who, along with half of the country, voted for that guy, or rather, voted against Harris/Walz and the Dem establishment. Instead, they should be furious with Dems like McCollum for handing the election to the Republicans along with core liberal values and areas of focus: regard for science and evidence-based policy and practice, women’s sex-based rights, LGB rights, freedom from state-sponsored religion, and access to evidence-based medical care for all. Why no interest in investigating Big Pharma and the rest of the gender industry profiting off of vulnerable people? No concern about pseudo-religious indoctrination of children in public schools? Who are these people, what do they stand for, and when are they going to give us back our party?

Expand full comment
Mary O'Connor, MD's avatar

Sarah,

Thank you for call out Ms. McCollum. Yes, we cannot understand how the Dems (who are suppose to be the party which supports women) don't understand that women need and DEMAND sex-based protections.

On the IOC front, I was disappointed to read that Lord Coe (allegedly) commented that protecting the women's category should be at the level of the international federations, and not a clear IOC policy. Maybe this is political---as I think there are those in the IOC who did not appreciate Coe's decision to permit World Athletics to give athletes money (is some fashion). Another candidate Johan Eliasch has been very clear that women's sports is for females.

Expand full comment
Sarah Barker's avatar

I'm uninformed :( I did not hear that quote from Coe. I find it hard to believe he would run his entire campaign from the beginning on protecting the female category and then back off right at the critical moment. Yes, I wrote about Eliasch.

Expand full comment
Mary O'Connor, MD's avatar

from article: Coe recently said that it was important that the IOC shows leadership and guidance on the issue but did not say that a blanket ban is the answer.

So it seems to me Coe is backing off from IOC policy as no blanket ban.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1151631/ioc-candidates-say-olympics-need-clear

Expand full comment
Brave Female Athlete's avatar

That's what I heard from a recent audio interview with Coe too.

Expand full comment
Mary O'Connor, MD's avatar

Thanks

Expand full comment
Brave Female Athlete's avatar

You are welcome Mary.

Also just found out Coe reposted the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports Executive Order saying "Preserving the integrity of competition in the female category is a fundamental principle of the sport of Athletics and as we know everything starts in schools. Establishing clear, unambiguous policies is a critical first step." (https://x.com/sebcoe/status/1887488807278084596?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet)

Hope this helps.

Expand full comment
Linda Blade's avatar

This piece is on fire! 🔥

Well done, Sarah!

Expand full comment
Brian Erb's avatar

"Do you support genital inspections?" as a objection to single sex spaces is like "if people evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?" as an objection to evolution by natural selection. The very framing of the question shows not that one has found a flaw in the argument but rather that they don't even want to understand the issue.

Expand full comment
Bruce Lesnick's avatar

With gender ideology, the “left” is shooting itself in the foot. https://brucelesnick.substack.com/p/with-gender-ideology-the-left-is

Expand full comment
Frau Katze's avatar

Related; a story at the NYT listing government web pages targeted by the new administration (again I do not like Trump): says “vaccine guidelines for pregnant people (the use of the phrase “pregnant people” could have contributed to its removal).”

Correct NYT! The phrase “pregnant people” is repellent. So why are you using it? News flash: men can’t get pregnant. You’re part of the problem!

Expand full comment
Kara Dansky's avatar

I feel your irritation so hard in this piece.

Expand full comment
Sarah Barker's avatar

Fueled 110% by outrage

Expand full comment
Charles Arthur's avatar

“Why do you think they introduced sex testing in the first place” is a killer question. There really isn’t a sensible one - outside the obvious - I can think of.

Expand full comment
K Tucker Andersen's avatar

Well stated, but sorry that you chose to pull your punches and not tell us how you really feel🙂🙂🙂🙂 Some of the Dem back benchers in Congress are extreme ideologues who really are idiots whom believe in this idiocy . But a believe the majority are simply spineless politicians who toe the line when there leaders ask for y n thinking absolute loyalty and party line votes. The overriding goal of the party for the entirety of this century and probably longer has been the accumulation and retention of power no matter hoe costly it is . Now the party is in crisis and engaged in circular firing squad behavior because their attemp to maintain their power at all cost by giving into their most extreme members has led then into a dead end with no way out.

We all need to keep up the good work of pressing the Dems rather than excusing them. This post Oscar prime example of how to do thst - force them to go o n the record exposing their extremism.

Expand full comment
Betsy Warrior's avatar

Great reply Sarah! Yes, Betty McCollum and her ilk gave the Presidency to Donald Trump by declaring themselves incompetent liars.

Expand full comment
mari's avatar

Just do DNA test…good grief. No one expects you to take off your pants

Expand full comment
BeadleBlog's avatar

The only genital inspections will be coming from the males in the female locker room inspecting the females. Betty probably gets her jollies thinking about this. I would not let this genital obsessed itch and her ilk anywhere near children.

Expand full comment
Sarah Barker's avatar

I actually don't think Betty gets her jollies thinking of genital inspections. See Mark S's comment above

Expand full comment