Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Stands Up For Women's Sports Amid Debates Over Lia Thomas, Trans Athletes
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is taking a risk and standing up to support women's sports at a critical time.
Holmes' support arrives at a time when women's sports face real uncertainty following the inclusion of transgender athletes; notably, biological men competing against women.
During a season of contention regarding whether biological males should compete against biological females, Holmes made his opinion on the matter clear when he wore a "Support Women and Girls in Sports" sweatshirt before reporters during a pre-draft press conference on Thursday.
Lions GM Amps Up Support For Women's Athletics
Holmes didn't receive a single question about the hoodie. Still, the GM knew promulgating common sense to protect women's sports was vital regardless of the reaction.
From the NCAA to the NFL, more people are pushing back on the radical notion that men should compete with women. Even ESPN talent stood against the network's decision to honor Lia Thomas as part of Women's History Month when they prioritized the trans athlete over biological women.
Sage Steele and Sam Ponder were outspoken critics of ESPN's Thomas worship.
One women's rights activist on board with Holmes' messaging was former University of Kentucky swimmer, Riley Gaines.
Gaines spotted Brad Holmes' choice of attire and gave her full support.
OutKick's Clay Travis followed Gaines' footsteps by cheering the GM's message.
Women's Rights Take Center Stage In Trans Debate
Gaines was one of the women who competed against Thomas when the failing men's swimmer started competing against females. Thomas received backlash for his instantaneous success in women's swimming after three unsuccessful years as a male swimmer.
Using that experience as her muse, Gaines has become a prominent advocate against the allowance of trans athletes. Gaines has been threatened with violence for her platform, seen in her recent trip to San Francisco State University.
Competition is eroding in women's sports; girls are being discouraged from participating over the biological disadvantages; locker rooms are no longer divvied between the two genders ... women's sports are in bad shape.
The transgender athlete debate has allowed for many "reaching across the aisle" moments as both sides of the political spectrum find themselves in agreeance with denouncing the advantage that trans women/biological men have over women.
Both sides are also coming together as the Biden administration refuses to properly define the federal Title IX law which currently allows trans athletes to participate according to their "identity" rather than their biological sex.
The mainstream media has been complicit in this narrative as ESPN, Nike and more brands push to redefine the norm with regard to gender.
Holmes, Gaines Can Inspire Real Change
Brad Holmes' advocacy, in its authentic outreach, will ultimately accomplish more for women's sports than activists like Megan Rapinoe. Self-proclaimed feminists like Rapinoe have failed to advance women's rights after mishandling the movement as a political platform.
It's no surprise that Rapinoe, her wife Sue Bird, and 40 female athletes created a petition to reject a bill that essentially sought to keep biological men out of women's sports. Does it aid women's athletics? Not at all, but it fits a progressive agenda.
In their viewpoints, it should be perfectly acceptable for a man to outswim a woman or face off against her in an octagon. When gender is moot, it opens up the floodgates for trouble.
People like Holmes, Ponder, Steele, and Gaines are taking a stance to reverse the consequences before women's sports go entirely extinct.
Brad Holmes, general manager of the Detroit Lions speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)