The recent news of a transgender swimmer breaking a New Jersey college record after switching from the men’s team to the women’s has sparked a debate about fairness in women’s sports.
Meghan Cortez-Fields won first place and broke a school record in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.22 at the Cougar Splash Invitational, a two-day meet between six schools in Dallas, Pennsylvania. She also came in first place in the 200-yard individual medley and earned second place in the 200-yard butterfly.
Opponents of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports argue that it is unfair to cisgender women, who may be at a physical disadvantage. They point to the biological differences between transgender women and cisgender women, which can give transgender women an advantage in strength, speed, and endurance.
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines had a strong opinion on Meghan Cortez-Fields:
“Those who choose to remain blind to the injustice of allowing mediocre male athletes to become record-breaking female athletes are either incompetent or misogynists. There is no in between anymore,” Gaines, an ambassador for the Independent Women’s Forum, told Fox News. “Women are being asked to smile and step aside and allow these men onto our teams all the while stripping us of opportunities, privacy and safety.”
“The incident at Ramapo College shouldn’t be a shock to anyone considering we’ve seen virtually the same story time and time again with no people in leadership positions willing to take a stand for women,” added Gaines, an Outkick contributor and podcast host who previously faced a trans competitor herself.
A trans swimmer at @RamapoCollegeNJ has broken the “women’s record” in the 100-yard butterfly and came in first place for the 200-yard individual medley. Meghan Cortez-Fields previously competed unnotably on the men’s team for three years. Read: https://t.co/awqWdtEqig
— Andy Ngô ️ (@MrAndyNgo) November 20, 2023
