Riley Gaines, Paula Scanlan, Macy Petty and a dozen other female athletes – including young girls – attended a ceremonial signing of Texas’ “Save Women’s Sports Act” on Monday.
As the girls and young women were trying to leave the venue, an angry mob of “transgender” activists and their allies screamed, shouted profanities and spat on them.
In response, the young women prayed for the activists who harassed them.
The Act, which prohibits biological males from competing in sports designated for biological females, was officially signed into law by Governor Abbott on June 15, but he invited the athletes to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for the ceremonial event.
Texas is one of 22 states that have passed laws protecting girls and women’s sports.
Michelle Evans is a chapter leader for the Independent Women’s Network, a group “that fights for women and their loved ones.” She posted a disturbing video of the activists:
As I was walking through @txwomans after the #SB15 signing I was physically assaulted – including being spit on in the eye – by the kindness and inclusion crowd. #SaveWomensSports #LetWomenSpeak @IWN @IWF @IWV @Riley_Gaines_ @TxValuesAction @FamilyProjectTX pic.twitter.com/hiolGNSbKV
— Michelle Evans (@ThinkerMichelle) August 7, 2023
Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer and spokeswoman for the Independent Women’s Forum, testified in favor of the Act in March. She recalled tying with Lia Thomas, born male and formerly known as Will, for fifth place in the NCAA Women’s Championship 200-yard freestyle. She stood watching as Thomas was handed the trophy for “photo purposes.”
Paula Scanlan was a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania when Thomas joined the women’s team. She appeared anonymously in Matt Walsh’s documentary, What Is a Woman?, but recently said she was ready to come out publicly and advocate for girls and women across the country.
Scanlan described to Walsh the indignity and invasion of privacy from sharing a locker room with a biological male and explained how the university pressured the team to accept transgender ideology.
Thomas didn’t just expose himself to women on the UPenn team, but to other women athletes in locker rooms at meets where he competed. Thomas also took competitive spots from women on the UPenn team, beat women athletes to set Ivy League and school records, and took the first place trophy from a woman when he won the 500-freestyle race at the NCAA women’s championships.
Macy Petty, a volleyball player for Lee University and a spokeswoman for Young Women for America, tweeted about the harassment, saying that the crowd was chanting, “Racist, sexist, anti-trans, you have blood on your hands.”
Petty responded to the slurs by saying the girls and women at the signing were “simply female athletes asking for our own spaces.”
Exactly. These women are not “anti-trans”; it is males who believe they are women who encroached on women-only sports, locker rooms, showers and restrooms.
“Racist, sexist, anti-trans, you have blood on your hands”
Simply female athletes asking for our own spaces. pic.twitter.com/FtYjg8XI4Z
— Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) August 7, 2023
She then tweeted, “They are extremely hostile and spitting on people. We are finding a safe exit. Please join us in praying for these individuals that they find hope in Jesus Christ! Life does not have to be this way.”
As Jesus taught, Petty prayed for those who harassed and attacked her.
Update: they are extremely hostile and spitting on people. We are finding a safe exit
Please join us in praying for these individuals that they find hope in Jesus Christ! Life does not have to be this way
Not scared, just don’t feel like getting spit on 🙂 we won’t be silent https://t.co/dK9d2jrD9j
— Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) August 7, 2023
Elaborating on the events the next day, Petty said she had felt frustrated because the athletes “couldn’t leave the event because the protestors were unhinged and spitting on people” – and she had a flight to catch.
But in the middle of her frustration, she remembered an important truth:
Then God reminded me of a valuable lesson I want to share: It’s ONLY by the grace of God I am able to see the truth. If not for Him, I would be just as lost and confused with nothing to turn to but anger and destruction.
Demonstrating kindness while under attack, she got together with Gaines, Scanlan and friends from Texas Values – a public policy organization allied with Focus on the Family – to pray for the activists. They asked God to open the activists’ eyes “to the hope found in Him.”
Even so, they did not back down on proclaiming the truth: Men and women are different; and women should not have their hard fought victories stolen from them.
Yesterday we couldn’t leave the event because the protestors were unhinged and spitting on people.
I had a flight to catch and was frankly really frustrated…
Then God reminded me of a valuable lesson I want to share:
It’s ONLY by the grace of God I am able to see the truth.…
— Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) August 8, 2023
In a press release from the governor’s office, Gaines applauded the Act, saying:
By signing the Save Women’s Sports Act, Governor Abbott has sent a powerful message to Texans and to all Americans that we must protect the female category in sports if women and girls are to have equal athletic opportunities required by law.
Scanlan also expressed her gratitude:
The Save Women’s Sports Act is necessary in all states, and I am very thankful that Texas has taken steps to provide fairness and safety for female athletes.
The Daily Citizen agrees. Girls and women should not be forced to give up positions on sports teams or share locker rooms, showers and restrooms with men who believe they are women.
May God protect and bless these young ladies as they stand for truth and pray for those who persecute them.
Related articles and resources:
Celebrate the Real NCAA Women’s 500-Freestyle Swimming Champions
Focus on the Family: Transgender Resources
#SaveGirlsSports – New Campaign Launched by Family Policy Alliance
Texas Protects Women’s College Sports
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