Sports are defying Trump’s trans ban

I was present when President Trump signed the executive order to protect women’s sports. But I knew the fight wasn’t over. In fact, it seems to be getting even uglier. 

The American “progressive” faction is digging its heels in to allow men to keep stealing women’s trophies and opportunities – turning hard-won female spaces into political battlegrounds.  

This Monday, for the first time, a man ran in the Boston Marathon in the women’s category – and a female athlete who disagreed with his inclusion was sent violent threats, highlighting the farcical state of American athletics. 

The rule change means that now it is possible for a man to win the men’s category, the non-binary category and the women’s category.

Riya Suising, born Robert Chien Hwa Young, is a man who identifies as a woman and his inclusion into the race, that runners have to meet strict qualification time to enter, means a female athlete was pushed out.

The official qualifying time for women is a full 30 minutes slower – a clear statement of fact of what we all know to be true:  men are faster than women.    

This biological advantage is again apparent in the non-binary category. Ever since it has existed, it has always been won by a man – and this year was no different. The qualification time for non-binary athletes is the same as the women’s qualifying time. 

I lead a brand called XX-XY Athletics, and our mission – in addition to providing outstanding athletic gear for our fans – is to protect women’s sports. We put out a series of videos last week leading up to the marathon with a qualifier, Natalie Daniels. This Boston Marathon was her 18th marathon.  

Daniels’ defense of the women’s category got the attention of Nikki Hiltz, who ran the 1,500 meters in the Paris Olympics. In an Instagram video, Hiltz said: “This person forgot what the point of a marathon is. It’s to complete 26.2 miles and maybe make some friends along the way. Trans women are not stopping you from doing that.” 

Hiltz’s condescension unleashed an avalanche of outrage from her followers towards Daniels. The trolling was typical, accusing Daniels of being a bigot and a transphobe. There were also calls to stalk and attack Daniels as she raced, with suggestions as to how to trace her whereabouts. 

Hiltz made headlines not for medaling at the 2024 Games but for being “the first non-binary and transgender athlete” in an Olympic track and field competition. Hiltz, however, is a woman and she ran in the women’s category. No one cares about how she identifies. The real fight is about keeping males out of the women’s category, not women who have alternative gender identities.   

And it turns out that Nike is also disregarding the President’s directive and the opinion of its customers. The New York Times reported that the firm is funding research on whether or not pre-pubescent males can be limited enough through puberty blockers and hormones to make them reasonable competitors in the women’s category.  

But the science is clear, including in a recent study published in The Journal of Applied Physiology, that lifelong male physical advantages begin in utero, and cannot be reversed by hormone suppression. 

Joanna Harper, a trans-identified male leading the Nike study, is researching how significant those advantages are and whether there is an acceptable level of male impairment that qualifies them to compete in the women’s category.

But women aren’t impaired men. And it’s insulting and degrading to look at the matter in this way.  

Harper goes on to bemoan the fact that given Trump’s ban on “gender affirming care” for minors Nike might not be able to pursue the study. Harper says: “If we can’t perform gender-affirming care, then we can’t bring people into the study.” 

Right. You can’t sterilize and mutilate young boys to figure out if they are hampered enough to not stand out too much to be noticed in the girls’ category.  

Nike, what are you doing? Just make the shoes. Your business is flailing. The stock price is down 42% in the past year. Perhaps a renewed focus on world class product and an investment in the unifying marketing that the brand is famous for is the path back to dominance rather than weird woke side projects that sterilize young boys in the name of social justice.  

Schools and colleges are also disregarding Trump’s directive and the overwhelming view of the public that boys should not compete against girls. Since the beginning of 2025 trans identified males athletes have won first place nearly 60 times at the high school and collegiate level. So much for the argument that it’s just a few.

In California, AB Hernandez from Jurupa Valley HS, recorded 21 first-place finishes in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, often winning all three events at individual meets.  

In Connecticut, Lucas “Lizzy” Bidwell won seven times across high jump, long jump, and triple jump events.  

And in Oregon, Aayden “Ada” Gallagher won both the 200m and 400m at a March meet, while Zachary “Lia” Rose from Ida B. Wells High School has won four high jump victories so far. 

The thing that never happens seems to sure happen a lot.  

Blue states are also ignoring the President’s order. Maine is under investigation by the Department of Justice and Governor Janet Mills seems willing to die on the hill of allowing boys to win girls’ medals – going so far as to suggest she will forsake federal funding to do so. 

By fighting President Trump, Mills is only harming the girls in her state who train hard to get the chance to compete on an even playing field.  

We don’t need studies funded by Nike measuring how much impairment is enough to make it close to fair. Women’s sports must be for those born female only. Sadly, we have a long way to go to achieve this basic level of reason.