WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, IW Features, the grassroots storytelling platform of Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), announced the release of Susan Jennings’ story, featuring her journey as a female sailor who witnessed a 66-year-old transgender-identifying male, who goes by the name Jennifer DesCombes, dominate a women’s sailing competition this year. Jennings’ story is the latest female athlete profile released by IW Features, highlighting the devastating impacts of allowing men to compete in women’s sports.
Jennings is a highly accomplished sailor and the secretary for the Southern California Women’s Sailing Association (SCWSA). She is also the captain of her club’s A Fleet–the most competitive division–so she knows that allowing men to compete in the SCWSA undermines female sailors’ hard work and dedication. Jennings has boldly refused to sail against DesCombes, telling IW Features she plans to downgrade to the B Fleet competition next year instead of racing against him.
DesCombes has been able to unfairly compete in the SCWSA because the organization adheres to U.S. Sailing’s transgender participation policy, which allows sailors to “self-identify and compete as his/her identified gender” upon providing one form of documentation that proves “the sailor’s gender in his/her ‘everyday life’ matches his/her racing gender.”
California’s progressive protections for gender identity have also made it so DesCombes has access to yacht clubs’ all-ages female restrooms and locker rooms, since it is against state law to prohibit anyone from using facilities according to their gender identity.
“Everybody has to tell him he can use whatever bathroom he wants. I mean, he’s got free reign to go into the shower area,” Jennings said. “Everybody is running scared for the potential of a lawsuit that we’re ‘discriminating’ against a transgender.”
Though others might feel nervous about challenging this law, Jennings remains bold in her opposition to men in women’s sports and spaces.
Jennings tells IW Features, in part:
“When it affects you personally, you take a whole different view on this. Suddenly, it’s your kids, your grandkids, and yourself that have to share the space with a man… He’s not a woman.”
Read Susan Jennings’ full profile HERE.
Jennings is one of many female athletes driving the movement to protect the integrity of sex-based categories in sports and fight unfair policies that favor inclusion at the expense of women’s rights to safe spaces and equal opportunities. See some more of IW Features’ recent work highlighting bold female athletes below:
- Lauren Miller, who gained national attention after losing a first-place title at the 2024 NXXT Women’s Championship to Davidson, shares her story HERE.
- Jennier Castro, a disc golfer who had to boycott her sport after the Professional Disc Golf Association decided to allow biological males to compete in women’s divisions, shares her story HERE.
- Hannah Rossi, a cyclist who lost to an aggressive male in her division, shares her story HERE.
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