The key issue in particular that is perhaps the most grating of all on Republican members of Congress is the one that has taken center stage in recent years involving so-called “transgender rights” including the inclusion of transgender “women” in women’s sports, bathrooms, dressing rooms, etc.
It’s an issue that has seen prominent female athletes strongly take public stands in favor of leaving women’s sports as they were originally intended. One of those athletes, LGBTQ icon Martina Navratilova, has loudly spoken out on the matter only to see the same far-left groups who had previously praised her for being a groundbreaker in sports turn around and try to cancel her for the crime of WrongSpeak.
Riley Gaines, a champion former University of Kentucky swimmer, has also emerged as a leading voice on this topic after having to share the trophies podium (and locker room) with former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who identifies as a woman but who was born a man. Gaines has testified countless times before members of Congress on Capitol Hill and also before various state legislatures on the issue, and is currently part of a lawsuit against the NCAA.
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It was Gaines’ troubling experiences and those of other concerned girls and women that were at the heart of the aggressive questioning of NCAA president Charlie Baker during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday on sports gambling.
Baker unwittingly set himself up for quite the grilling with remarks made in his opening statement in which he declared that an “essential priority of the Association and its members is coordinating and delivering safe and fair competition.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) took the ball and ran with it, questioning the former Massachusetts governor’s statement and contrasting it with what he characterized as the NCAA’s unfairness in not standing up against athletes like Lia Thomas being able to compete against female athletes.
At one point, Kennedy cornered Baker and got him to bend the knee on a key point by having him concede that men who compete against women in sports have an advantage “every time” after Baker initially (and laughably) claimed the point was “debatable.”
“Why don’t you go onto Amazon and buy a spine online and take a stand?” Kennedy finally said at one point in frustration over Baker’s continued insinuations that the NCAA didn’t have a choice but to take the position they have because the courts supposedly have not provided “clarity” on the issue.
Watch:
Why does the NCAA support allowing biological males to compete against biological females?
Why don’t they grow a spine? pic.twitter.com/4CzFwirnEk
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) December 17, 2024
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was next, and Baker again didn’t stand a chance. In his questioning, Hawley told Baker that it was ridiculous to claim the NCAA’s hands were tied, stating that “No federal court has ordered the NCAA to include biological men in women’s sports.
Hawley also correctly noted that the NCAA doesn’t take the legitimate concerns of female athletes like Riley Gaines into consideration when writing their guidelines on the use of locker rooms, showers, etc:
Sen. Josh Hawley: “No federal court has ordered the NCAA to include biological men in women’s sports, right?”
NCAA President Charlie Baker: “That’s pretty much what they decided.”
Sen. Hawley: “Don’t say pretty much. We’re talking about the law here.” pic.twitter.com/WWbwQ06YxG
— Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) December 17, 2024
Listen to NCAA President Charlie Baker hem and haw and blame everyone from courts to “the locals” for HIS policy allowing men in women’s sports. It’s indefensible – and he knows it pic.twitter.com/gyFUm5qvJ0
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 17, 2024
Oftentimes when conservatives watch these exchanges, the next thought is “That sounded good, but where’s the action?”
My thought bubble on this is that Republicans who are laser-focused on this issue (and there are many) are just getting warmed up for 2025, where there will be firm Republican control of the Senate and much more opportunity to translate that talk into meaningful legislation thanks to also having control in the House and a Republican POTUS captaining the ship.
Time will tell, but I think we’re getting ready to see some real movement in the right direction on the issue of “transgender rights” in the coming months, despite the cases currently before various courts. As always, buckle up – and stay tuned.
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