I was thrown out of California public library for discussing if it’s fair for men to compete in women’s sports

Kaitlynn Wheeler, former University of Kentucky swimmer, weighs in after the NAIA's transgender athlete ban.

It took less than two minutes and the mention of the word "men," and I was shouted down. I had barely introduced myself and a heckler accused me of committing the alleged crime of "misgendering" by using the phrase, "men in women’s sports."

In August 2023, I was invited to the Yolo County library in California to speak at an event called "Forum on Fair and Safe Sport for Girls." As a former college soccer player, I’m passionate about protecting women’s sports from being invaded by male athletes and welcomed the opportunity to join Moms for Liberty and other women advocates in openly discussing a relevant cultural issue.

But all I was able to share was my dream of being a college soccer player since I was 10 years old and how girls today could miss out on achieving their athletic dreams because of being forced to compete against boys. 

Sophia Lorey is a former collegiate soccer player and currently the outreach director at California Family Council.

Library officials shut down the forum after only a few minutes, claiming that referring to male athletes in women’s sports as "men" violated library policy.

WE'VE SEEN HOW DANGEROUS IT IS FOR MEN TO COMPETE AGAINST WOMEN, AND WE'RE STANDING FOR FAIR COMPETITION

Should men compete in women’s sports? That’s a central issue in our culture. One that demands honest dialogue and robust debate. Unfortunately, just saying "men competing in women’s sports" is enough to get you censored. Or as I found out, it’s also enough to get you thrown out of a public library.

It’s common now for radical activists to shut down all debate on issues with which they disagree or dislike. To