As a lifelong athlete, resident of Virginia, and advocate for protecting women’s spaces, I know what’s at stake this election season. Stories like mine are becoming more common.
As an NCAA Division 1 athlete at Southern Utah University, I structured my life around my sport. Up before sunrise, running by 5:45 am, and juggling classes, work, and competition. Every ounce of effort was fueled by one dream: to end my college career on top.
LIBERALS ARE ALL MEAN GIRLS NOW
Then, in 2019, I found out the jarring news that I would be competing against a transgender-identifying male in the coming season. At that moment, my dreams were quickly shattered. How was I supposed to compete with a man who had previously run world record times for women? All of the different goals I had for my senior season suddenly seemed as if they were no longer possible. No female athlete should ever have to experience this.
Now, voters in both Virginia and New Jersey are about to make consequential decisions that will shape the future for women and girls not only in their states, but across the nation.
In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has led with courage and conviction on issues that directly affect women and girls across the commonwealth. His administration has consistently stood for fairness and transparency in education, parental involvement, and the protection of women’s sports. Youngkin has shown that leadership means listening to parents, standing for objective truth, and ensuring that women and girls have the opportunity to thrive in safe, fair environments.
Lieutenant Gov. and gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears has been equally steadfast. Her public statements have made it clear that men should not compete in women’s sports. On the other hand, her opponent, Abigail Spanberger, has not.
Spanberger has failed the Riley Gaines Stand With Women Scorecard, which factors in a variety of actions (or inactions) taken by candidates, telling voters who stands with women and who does not. In Congress, she voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, legislation that would keep men out of women’s sports. Spanberger has made it crystal clear that she does not stand with women.
Now is not the time to reverse all the progress Youngkin has made to protect women and girls; it’s time to capitalize on it. This is not a matter of discrimination. It’s a matter of fairness, safety, and opportunity.
All young women who train for hours and all girls who dream of a collegiate scholarship deserve a level playing field. The Youngkin administration has not wavered on this principle, and as Virginians look toward our next chapter of leadership, Earle-Sears’ consistency and courage contrast sharply with Spanberger.
In New Jersey, gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli has taken a principled stand. He’s made it clear that he is both for respecting LGBT rights and protecting women’s sports; they are not mutually exclusive. Ciattarelli has said he’s “committed to respecting the rights of all New Jerseyans to love who they love,” but he rightly opposes any school curriculum that keeps secrets from parents or policies that force girls to compete against boys in youth sports. His balanced approach, one that values both compassion and common sense, should resonate with families who believe fairness should not come at the expense of women’s opportunities.
Meanwhile, his opponent, Mikie Sherrill, has a record of repeatedly voting against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in Congress, and she, too, has failed the Riley Gaines Stand With Women Scorecard. Once again, the divide is clear: Some candidates stand with women, and others don’t.
Let’s not forget why women’s sports exist in the first place. Title IX was designed to ensure women and girls have equal opportunity in educational settings, including athletic competitions.
I’ve watched young girls lose championship titles, medals, and even places on their team in the name of political correctness. Let’s not be confused: Allowing men to compete in women’s categories undermines the promise of Title IX and jeopardizes decades of progress. It is a betrayal of women masked as equality. This is not about exclusion; it’s about preserving the integrity of women’s athletics and the safety of those who participate.
New Jersey and Virginia have a massive impact on the direction our country is heading. They each serve as a reminder that while we have allies in office for one term, the next is not always guaranteed.
LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HIT WITH NEW CONSPIRACY CLAIMS IN TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM CASE
As voters head to the polls in Virginia and New Jersey, I urge them to remember what is at stake. The choices we make will determine whether our daughters and granddaughters inherit a world where women’s achievements are honored and protected or one where they are erased in an attempt to virtue signal.
Let’s keep female sports female and ensure that the playing field remains one where girls can compete, succeed, and win on their own merits. It’s time to stand with leaders who understand that fairness for women isn’t negotiable.
Linnea Saltz is a sports ambassador for Independent Women, former NCAA track and field athlete who competed against the first transgender-identifying male athlete to compete in Dl track and field, and Virginia resident.