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Several female athletes and female sports activists took aim at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in a Super Bowl-style ad Saturday.
In the latest TV spot for sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics, a coalition of “Save Women’s Sports” activists, led by Riley Gaines, mocked the ACLU for its recent video promoting the rights of trans athletes in women’s sports.
For its “More Than A Game” campaign, the ACLU released a video featuring former women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe, in support of trans athletes. On its website, the group says it supports trans youth and their families and their right to “be themselves.”
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“Sport is not about inclusion.” Jennifer Sey blasts ACLU ad featuring Megan Rapinoe (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images/Athletics XX-XY)
Today, Jennifer Sey, co-founder of Gaines and XX-XY Athletics, fought back with her “Women’s Sports Aren’t Just a Game” ad.
The promotion featured prominent activists including former San Jose State University volleyball player Brooke Slusser, former University of Kentucky swimmer Kaitlynn Wheeler, former ESPN host Sage Steele and OutKick founder Clay Travis.
The ACLU has been the target of immense criticism from feminist activists in recent years for its role in advocating for the inclusion of biological trans male athletes in women’s and women’s sports. ACLU attorneys defended trans athletes in cases brought before the U.S. Supreme Court on January 13.
One of the clients represented by the ACLU at the hearing was a trans teenager from West Virginia. The teenager was accused of sexual harassment in the girls’ locker room by the family of a teammate. The ACLU has denied the allegations.
Sey called out the ACLU for defending the teen amid the allegations.
INSIDE SCOTUS HEARING WOULD BE A TURNING POINT IN CULTURAL WAR AGAINST TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
“The ACLU is trying to erase the fact that [the teen] is a boy. A boy who was accused of sexually harassing his teammates in the locker room. They try to portray him as both a victim and a nice girl just wanting to hang out with friends and have fun on the team. It’s insulting to girls who train hard just to make the team,” Sey told PK Press Club Digital.
“It devalues their hard work. Girls are not boys with disabilities. Women and girls are not a category to choose from. We are resetting the cultural dialogue. And we are not giving an inch. Not on language. Not on equity. Not on the rights of girls and women.”
“The ACLU is trying to redefine the meaning of competitive sports as well as what a woman is. We are not going to allow that to happen. A woman is a grown human woman and sports is not about freedom and self-expression. Sports is about digging deep to find the best in yourself. Sports is about mastery and merit and yes, competing to win. Women deserve a level playing field. They deserve the chance to compete and win.”
PK Press Club Digital has reached out to the ACLU for a response.
The ACLU previously provided a statement to PK Press Club Digital regarding the allegations against its client.
“Our client and her mother deny these allegations and the school district has investigated the allegations reported to the school by AC and found them to be unsubstantiated. We remain committed to defending the rights of all students under Title IX, including the right to a safe and inclusive learning environment, free from harassment and discrimination,” the statement said.
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At the Jan. 13 SCOTUS hearing, ACLU attorney Joshua Block argued to the justices that “sex” should not be defined.
Block then fled PK Press Club Digital’s questioning outside of court about his argument and the allegations against his client.
Although the court’s conservative majority is expected to ultimately rule against the ACLU’s trans athlete clients, the company continues to loudly voice its support for men in women’s sports.
Sey, Gaines and the other activists appear to want to fight back fiercely.
