Paula Scanlan, Independent Women's Forum Protest Trans Athlete At NCAA DIII Women's Track Race: Exclusive
Paula Scanlan and the Independent Women's Forum spent their Friday afternoon protesting at an NCAA Women's Track and Field event over the inclusion of a male athlete competing against females.
And it's yet another recent example of the fight to restore common sense and competitive fairness to women's athletic competitions.
Scanlan, who was Lia Thomas' swimming teammate at Penn, recorded exclusive photos and videos of the 200-meter dash at the NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field event on Friday afternoon, where transgender athlete Sadie Schreiner competed against female runners.
Sadie Schreiner competing at NCAA Women's Track and Field Event.
(Paula Scanlan)
Sadie Schreiner competing at NCAA Women's Track and Field Event
(Paula Scanlan)
Sadie Schreiner competing at NCAA Women's Track and Field Event
Sadie Schreiner competing at NCAA Women's Track and Field Event
Sadie Schreiner competing at NCAA Women's Track and Field Event
Unsurprisingly, Schreiner easily won the first heat, beating out female athletes by nearly two/tenths of a second.
Sadie Schreiner Running At NCAA Women's Track and Field Event
Particularly noticeable is the physical size difference between Schreiner and the other female competitors, even in video recorded from the stands.
Outside of the event, Scanlan and supporters of the Independent Women's Forum effort to limit women's sports to women protested Schreiner's participation.
Protest outside of Sadie Schreiner competing in NCAA's Women's Track and Field Event
(Paula Scanlan)
Protest outside of Sadie Schreiner competing in NCAA's Women's Track and Field Event
Protest outside of Sadie Schreiner competing in NCAA's Women's Track and Field Event
More Support Needed To Ensure Competitive Fairness
Scanlan reported from the arena that many attendees were "cheering" for Schreiner, bizarrely supporting a male easily beating females thanks to an unfair competitive advantage.
Thankfully, some are sticking up for women, with one recent example being efforts by a Nassau County executive to fight back against New York state Attorney General Letitia James and her efforts to discriminate against women in women's sports.
The "Gaines for Girls" podcast, from host Riley Gaines, frequently covers these issues and those on the forefront of protecting competitive fairness. Clearly, the NCAA has no issue with transgender athletes turning events into a laughingstock. Lia Thomas most famously exemplified the absurdity of the organization's rules, and unsurprisingly many others like Schreiner have followed.
The most effective method of protest is for the women involved to refuse to compete, as was just seen when a female billards player refused to play against a male. But putting more pressure on administrators, letting them know publicly that their rules are unacceptable, can only help. Hopefully it's enough to spark some change so this kind of inexcusable absurdity doesn't happen again.