Keeping sports fair and safe for women and girls

In 1972, a landmark federal civil rights law was passed in the United States that prohibited sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that received federal funding. Known as Title IX, this legislative result of a long-fought battle ultimately helped ensure that females were given the same opportunities in sports as their male counterparts.

Today, however, there is a new challenge that threatens to undo all the progress that the courageous women before us have fought so long for: allowing biological males or trans women to compete in female sports.

Here in Nassau, County Executive Bruce Blakeman recognized the danger and unfairness that threat poses and boldly took it on by proposing legislation that would ban males from competing in any girls’ or women’s athletic events on county-owned property. Specifically, the law — which the County Legislature passed on Monday — will bar the county parks department from issuing permits for sporting events that allow athletic teams or sports designated for females to include males as competitors. They would, however, still be able to pursue athletic activities on a co-ed level, or those involving male-only sports.

I support this legislation, and wanted to share some insights on why I am willing to stand up to protect female sports and the female athletes who compete on our courts and ballfields.

One of the most integral components of my high school experience was participating in my school’s athletic program. Being an athlete teaches life skills that go far beyond the playing field: time management, teamwork, discipline, work ethic and resilience, among countless other invaluable lessons. These skills have stayed with me, and benefited my daily life as a wife, mother, attorney and county legislator.

Many high school athletes have been training in their chosen sport since they were children. They have put in years of hard work, totaling thousands of hours. Their families have made significant financial investments in their athletic endeavors, and they have learned to balance sports with their academic, social and familial commitments. Sadly, many outstanding young female athletes are seeing their records broken and replaced by unrealistic standards that will be nearly impossible to reach. Additionally, the athletic scholarships that help finance their college education are at increased risk of being taken away from them by males.

It’s important to view this issue from a logical rather than an emotional standpoint. While I respect the fact that transgender women identify as women, the fact remains that they are biologically male. Their physical characteristics — muscle mass, bone density, lung capacity and so on — offer them a distinct advantage over female athletes.

The resulting biological advantages in endurance, speed and strength not only give transgender women an edge in competition, but also pose a danger to the females they compete against. There have been instances in which female athletes have been injured playing against males. Payton McNabb, a North Carolina volleyball player, suffered severe, long-term physical and mental injuries after getting hit in the face by a volleyball spiked by a trans woman opponent. In February, three female high school basketball players in a game in Massachusetts were injured by a trans woman opponent, which led their coach to pull his team off the court and forfeit the game.

Here in Nassau County, we’re dedicated to building a future in which a female athlete can realize her full potential and be afforded the same opportunities as a male athlete. Inclusivity should not come at the price of safety or compromise the foundation of women’s sports. As a female, a former athlete and a mother of two young girls, I am compelled to protect the integrity of women’s sports. Put simply, girls and women should not have to train and compete for second place. Nor should they run the risk of being injured competing against the opposite sex. Fortunately, this law will help prevent that from happening here.

Samantha A. Goetz represents Nassau County’s 18th Legislative District.