The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), one of the nation’s top athletics bodies, is suing Riley Gaines among 16 sportswomen for including transgender people in its lawsuit.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky diver, has become a well-known defender of trans participation in women’s activity since her 2022 encounter with trans US university swimmer Lia Thomas.
A lawsuit filed on Thursday (14 March) targets the NCAA for what the plaintiffs claim is a discriminatory policy that allows trans women to compete in sporting events.
The lawsuit contends that the NCAA’s policy violates Title IX, a federal law that guarantees equal opportunity for men and women in college and sports, and was founded on the principles of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), an organization founded on the principles of “sex-based discrimination.”
The complaint claims that encouraging laws that prevent women from having equal opportunities and safe spaces in collegiate sports appears to support the NCAA’s purpose of maintaining control over the funding of college sports.
“Through]its transgender eligibility policies, the NCAA has aligned with the most radical elements of the so-called diversity, equity and inclusion agenda on college campuses”.
The NCAA oversees various university- level sporting events, including snow soccer, basketball, swimming and wrestling.
Morris stated that she was fighting “for every young girl who dreams of competing in activities,” and that she was grateful for ICONS’ commitment to our cause, particularly their financial responsibility that allowed us to take this issue seriously.
Gaines is suing alongside brother swimmers Réka György, Kate Pearson, Lily Mullens, Susanna Price, Carter Satterfield, Julianna Morrow and Kylee Alons, tennis player Kaitlynn Wheeler, cross- state runner Ainsley Erzen, tennis player Ellie Eades, and footballer Katie Blankinship, as well as four additional athletes, two of whom are even swimmers and one a track athlete, who did not wish to be named.
Different right-wing organizations have targeted the NCAA because of its pro-trans stance and safeguarding policies, with some claiming that transgender women have an inbuilt advantage in sports. However, some experts argue that anti- trans policies in sports are “not based on concrete evidence”.
Endocrinologist Dr. Ada Cheung reiterated to The Sydney Morning Herald in 2022 that there is not enough evidence to support an advantage that policies on trans inclusion should not be based on people’s “opinions.”
Because the science isn’t clear, “we don’t know if there’s a biological advantage for transgender women over cisgender women,” she said.
Gaines continues to advocate for total trans exclusion from women’s sports, even in chess.
“Men shouldn’t be in women’s category in chess, pool, or any sport”, she said. When men can play wherever they want, “Why even have a women’s category?”
In a statement given to Associated Press, the NCAA said: “College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and, while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the asssociation and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships”.
