Women’s advocacy group hands NCAA petition to ‘keep women’s college sports female’

On Thursday, a group of current and former female athletes Petition to NCAA We call for an end to the practice of allowing biologically male athletes to compete on women’s teams.

The petition and demand were handed over by the former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines It called on the NCAA to “take direct and immediate action to establish rules to keep women’s college sports as women.”

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines addresses a rally outside the NCAA convention in San Antonio Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)

“In the world of collegiate sports, it is impossible to provide equal opportunities for men and women (as required by Title IX) without an all-female team,” the letter reads. While the NCAA has implemented and perpetuated policies allowing male athletes to participate on women’s teams, sports governing bodies and federal courts increasingly have unfair and unfair policies that exclude young women from their own teams. I refuse.”

The petition was read Thursday outside the NCAA convention in San Antonio, Texas, and threatened legal action if the NCAA does not “protect female athletes from discrimination based on gender.”

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“The NCAA cannot choose the laws it follows,” says Marshi Smith, NCAA champion and co-founder of ICONS. “They must protect female athletes from gender-based discrimination or expect to be forced to take legal action to force female athletes to do so. not.”

The letter calls for the NCAA to “repeal all policies and regulations that allow male athletes to be enrolled on women’s team rosters or participate in women’s events.”

University of Pennsylvania swimmer Leah Thomas and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines tie for fifth place in the 200 Freestyle Finals of the NCAA Aquatics and Diving Championships at the Macquarie Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia, March 18, 2022 reaction after finishing.
(Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It also calls for a rule to “keep women’s sports as women” and require the NCAA to provide colleges with separate locker rooms for female athletes.

Gaines, who played against Leah Thomas last year, first transgender athlete Winning a national title also spoke Thursday, calling on the NCAA to stop discriminating against female athletes.

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“Today, I will personally tell the NCAA to stop discrimination against female athletes by handing them a petition that has gathered nearly 10,000 signatures in just a few days,” Gaines said Thursday.

Updated by NCAA Transgender Participation Policy Last January, we decided to follow the guidance of each sport’s governing body. The NCAA announced that the policy will take effect beginning with the Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in March.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines addresses a rally outside the NCAA convention in San Antonio Thursday, January 12, 2023.
(AP Photo/Darren Abate)

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USA Swimming required transgender athletes competing at the elite level to have low levels of testosterone (half the amount Thomas was allowed to compete) for at least 36 months before qualifying. Although it updated its policy shortly after, the NCAA said weeks later that the Administrative Subcommittee of the Commission on Competition Protection and Medical Aspects of Sports (CMAS) decided not to change its testosterone guidance. , said, “Implementing additional changes at this time could have an unfair and potentially harmful impact on schools and student-athletes.” ”

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and Associated Press contributed to this report.