Nothing has woken America up to the reality of gender ideology more quickly than the photo of Riley Gaines standing next to her National Championship opponent, a 6-foot-2 man towering over her with his broad shoulders and smoldering grin. You felt it in your bones – this is not correct.
The moment sparked a nationwide campaign to convince ordinary Americans that this feeling wasn’t just instinctive; it was internalized bigotry and proof that there was still noble, progressive work to be done. Only one problem. It was all a lie. And recent admissions show that even the top Democratic leaders didn’t believe in what they were selling.
Just five years ago, I was a freshman in college testifying in my dorm room about a bill that would ban men from competing on female sports teams. “Politics is crazy,” I thought, “why do I even have to testify about something so obvious?”
Vice President Kamala Harris stands on stage with California Governor Gavin Newsom during a campaign event in San Leandro, California, September 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
I quickly learned of my own naivete when the bill failed to pass in my very conservative state. “This isn’t a real problem,” they insisted as I, a female athlete who had previously competed against a man, sat in front of them. There was clearly a lot more to this problem than I realized.
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As the spotlight grew on the issue, it was immediately deemed partisan in some way. The issue was tied to Democrats’ pro-LGBTQIA+ position, which they insisted was the civil rights issue of our time, and now it was directly at odds with something that was blatantly unjust. But they were in too deep.
Time and again, those trying to find solutions to the problem of men in women’s sports, including traditionally far-left organizations like the Women’s Liberation Front, found themselves pitted against the powerful political agents of the Democratic Party. Although the ties between LGB and T were fading, the radical left emphasized that to be pro-gay or pro-woman you also had to stand up for men in women’s sports. The Democrats obliged.
In some ways this makes sense. If the Democrats acknowledge that sex exists in sports, what does this mean for other parts of their agenda that rely on a sex-denying ideology? The crusade to abolish sex has been going on for decades, and they have no intention of giving in now. So they ramped it up even further, even redefining “sex” as “gender identity” wherever they could, including in historic pro-woman legislation like Title IX, and continuing to label anything contrary to that as “extreme” through the 2024 election.
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Concerned Women for America LAC exit polls suggest this issue played a major role in the election, and Democrats paid the price with a resounding loss in both chambers of the federal government and the White House. Voters did not believe the lie that their concerns were merely internalized bigotry. And at least some Democrats are finally ready to face the music and talk about it more openly.
The Democrats’ top figure has finally addressed one of the biggest political flops in modern history, and while her admission isn’t surprising, it should shake the party to its core.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on September 29, 2025. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In her recently published book about her presidential candidacy, former Vice President Kamala Harris admits that she too shares her concerns: “I agree with the concerns of parents and players that we must take into account biological factors such as muscle mass and unfair athletic advantages of students when determining who plays on which teams, especially in contact sports.”
But she added: “There was no way I was going to go against my nature and turn against transgender people.”
And there it is. Tension unmasked. When reality collides with loyalty, Democrats choose loyalty.
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The party’s top leaders know they ignored the real, reasonable and consistent concerns of millions of women. In their eyes, abandoning women and their safety was worth it.
Harris is not alone. California Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly admitted that this is “a matter of fairness – it is very unfair.” Yet his state is one of the worst violators of women’s rights in this area.
On this global X/X Day (Real Women’s Day), the good news is that some party members are choosing reality and abandoning ship. Just a few weeks ago, 10 House Democrats voted for the first time in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would bar men from competing on female athletic teams at service academies. Just a few months ago, most of these same members refused to vote for a bill with similar protections.
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As we hope this issue will join the parade of failed civil rights attacks from a bygone era, voters and candidates alike should heed the warning. Never tolerate a lie. The truth is our only sure foundation. Policy must be based on reality.
We know what’s wrong when we see it. It’s instinctive and often clearly visible, like that photo of Riley Gaines’ medal being given to a man.
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