This is a summarized version of the full post on Jennifer Sey’s Substack, Sey Everything. Subscribe there for the complete story and deeper context.
Girls Have Already Taken a Stand
It’s become a common argument — even from people I like and respect — that if girls simply refused to compete against males, the issue of boys competing in girls’ sports would disappear.
But that argument ignores reality.
Girls have already taken a stand. And it has changed nothing.
In 2024, teams across the country forfeited matches against San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball squad after it fielded a male player. Universities including Utah State and Wyoming walked away rather than participate in what they viewed as an unfair contest.
In April 2025, fencer Stephanie Turner took a knee at a USA Fencing tournament and refused to compete against a male opponent in the women’s division. She was disqualified for taking that stand.
And yet the unfairness continues.
Boys and men are still competing — and winning — in girls’ and women’s sports.
Even the Highest Levels Haven’t Stopped It
In February 2025, President Trump issued an executive order intended to keep men out of women’s sports.
Still, male athlete AB Hernandez won three track and field events at the CIF prelims in California last weekend.
Even the International Olympic Committee — the most powerful governing body in global athletics — adopted a new policy in March 2026 restricting the women’s category to actual females, verified by SRY gene screening, beginning with the 2028 Olympic Games.
Yet the issue persists at every level of competition.
This Is Not a Girls’ Problem
This is an adult problem.
Males competing in women’s sports displace women and girls from podiums, scholarships, roster spots, and opportunities. In some sports, it also puts female athletes’ safety at risk.
So why are we asking girls to solve it?
Why aren’t professional male athletes refusing to play until women’s sports are protected?
You laugh because the idea sounds absurd. Of course they wouldn’t.
But why aren’t men telling other men to stop pretending to be women in order to compete against female athletes?
Children Should Not Carry the Burden Adults Refuse
Children cannot be expected to shoulder the burden adults refuse to carry.
The people failing girls are adults:
-
Governing bodies
-
Coaches
-
Administrators
-
League officials
-
Politicians
-
Compliance officers
These are the people with actual power.
And many of them actively discourage female athletes from speaking up.
At XX-XY Athletics, we were in discussions with several nationally ranked Division 1 tennis players about joining our athlete team. We negotiated contracts and planned a shoot for months.
Two days before the shoot, the athletes backed out.
Why?
Because their coach and NIL compliance officer told them to.
Standing Down Comes at a Cost
Most athletes only get a few seasons.
Most high school athletes never play in college.
For a female athlete to “stand down” for even one season can mean:
-
Losing recruiting exposure
-
Missing scholarship opportunities
-
Sacrificing a roster spot
-
Giving up the peak years of a competitive career
That is not a small ask.
I support every girl or woman who chooses to speak up or refuse to compete. I will cheer them on, support them, and stand beside them.
But demanding that young women carry the entire burden of fixing this issue is neither fair nor effective.
The Responsibility Belongs to Adults
The solution lies with the people who hold real authority:
-
Coaches who look the other way
-
Governing bodies that prioritize ideology over fairness
-
Politicians who refuse to protect the female category
-
Adults who stay silent because speaking up feels uncomfortable
Many people mean well when they encourage girls to take a stand.
But they are wrong to place the responsibility solely on them.
If the vast majority of adults who claim to support protecting women’s sports are too afraid to speak publicly, how can we expect young girls to do all the work?
Stop Asking Girls to Stand Down
Stop asking girls to sacrifice themselves to solve a problem adults created and continue to enable.
The grown ups need to grow a pair.
Stop calling on girls to stand down.
Call on adults to stand up.
Watch Our Latest Ad
Here’s our latest ad on this subject.
