WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, members of Our Bodies, Our Sports, the nation’s first and only coalition of women’s advocacy organizations from across the political spectrum fighting for fairness in women’s sports, issued a follow-up letter to Congressional leadership, calling for bipartisan efforts to protect women and girls in sport and to apply maximum pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) after both committees blatantly failed to prioritize safety and fairness for female athletes during recent Olympic and Paralympic games.
The letter urges senators to support the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (S. 3729) and asks the House to bring the companion bill (H.R. 7187) to a floor vote. Senator Tommy Tuberville and Congressman Greg Steube introduced the bills, respectively, in February.
The letter reads in part:
“Earlier this summer, we witnessed two men fighting women in a boxing ring at the Paris Olympic Games. On the largest stage in the world, at an event that should symbolize the best of humanity, male violence against women has become a sport.
“Now we learn a 50-year-old male sprinter from Italy competed in the women’s division of the Paralympic games displacing women Paralympians in their prime from competing or advancing on the largest stage in sports — another affront to all female athletes who have dedicated their lives to pursuing excellence in sport.
“This should never have happened and should never happen again. Our Bodies, Our Sports coalition — women’s rights organizations, feminist organizations, sports organizations, women Olympians and lawyers — sent a letter to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as it has failed to protect either women or the principle of fairness in sports by permitting men to compete in the women’s category of sport. Our organizations are determined to end this cruel disregard for fairness.”
Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) joined Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), Champion Women, International Consortium on Female Sports (ICFS), Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), the U.S. chapter of Women’s Declaration International (WDI USA), Concerned Women for America (CWA), Young Women for America (YWA), Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC), and Independent Women’s Network (IWN) in sending the letter.
The letter to Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson, and Leader Jeffries can be viewed HERE.
This letter follows a July letter the Our Bodies, Our Sports coalition sent to Congressional leadership during the Olympic boxing controversy.
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