WASHINGTON, D.C. – Independent Women’s Forum and Independent Women’s Law Center are calling on former Massachusetts governor and current NCAA President Charlie Baker to take a stand for female athletes.
On Tuesday, October 17, Baker testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Name, Image, and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports.” Under questioning from Republican Senators, Baker refused to say whether or when the NCAA might revisit its policies that allow males to compete on women’s college teams.
In January 2023, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) Spokeswoman and 12X NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines wrote a letter to Gov. Baker regarding NCAA eligibility rules for women’s sports. In her letter, Gaines recalled her experience racing Lia Thomas, then a member of the UPenn Women’s swim team who had previously competed on the men’s team as Will Thomas.
Gaines explained to Baker that current NCAA policies “have left female athletes hurt, traumatized, or excluded” and asked the former Republican governor for an opportunity to speak with him about her experiences. Gaines sent a copy of the letter to NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana and to Baker’s Massachusetts home prior to attending the NCAA Annual Convention in San Antonio to protest current NCAA policies.
On Tuesday, under questioning from U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo), Baker said he wouldn’t “defend” what happened in 2022, as he wasn’t NCAA president at the time. But he stopped short of saying the NCAA would revisit its eligibility policies, claiming that “the rules around transgender athletes generally are more restrictive today than they were in 22.”
Current NCAA policy allows males who identify as women to play women’s sports, so long as their levels of testosterone meet sport-specific requirements. The policy contradicts scientific studies that have found testosterone suppression cannot eliminate the male athletic advantage.
Baker told the Judiciary Committee that he has “talked to probably 1,000 student athletes” since taking the job in March 2023. Yet Baker has failed to respond to Gaines’s letter or to her request for a meeting, despite repeated phone calls and emails to his office.
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Independent Women’s Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.
Independent Women’s Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.