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.
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.
…