In an Olympics characterized by blasphemy, forced veganism, televised domestic violence and swimming in sewage — women’s rugby sensation Ilona Maher is an undeniably wholesome highlight.
The bubbly athlete, who led the Americans to a bronze medal in Paris, is a budding social media star. Millions of people follow Maher on Instagram and TikTok for her relatable humor and positivity. She routinely uses her platform to remind women that strength and femininity aren’t mutually exclusive.
So, naturally, millions of social media users felt compelled to call her a man on X (formerly Twitter).
While inexcusable, the cyberbullying didn’t surprise me so much as the number of people who seemed to believe mocking Maher, a biological woman, somehow contributed to the fight against gender ideology.
In reality, Maher illustrates the foundational argument against gender ideology: that sex is biological, not socially constructed.
Let’s break it down.
The slew of hurtful comments began with an innocuous post of Maher dancing before the opening ceremonies, captioned, “Olympics athlete Ilona Maher is being compared to 80s Brooke Shields.”
Millions chose to respond with comments like these (all errors from original posts):
“Is that a dude? Genuine question.” @dissident42069
“well except that Brooke Shield was good-looking…” @JohnKalagian
“one ugly dude” @scarlett4kids
“I didn’t think dudes cosplaying as chicks were allowed in the pagan games?” @GotMeOuttsCA
“Maybe Brooke Shields after absorbing Gamma Rays [frowny face]” @Commieslayer15
With an athlete’s physique and a strong jaw, Maher says she faces these attacks often. In a tearful Instagram video that resurfaced before the Olympics, she admits, “I get comments being called a man and being called masculine and being asked if I’m on steroids.”
Bullying Maher for her so-called masculine features comes straight out of the gender ideology playbook. Though gender idealogues frequently claim to transcend social constructions of sex, they rely on sex stereotypes to determine “gender identity” — what transgender activists say is “a person’s internal feeling of being male or female.”
And why wouldn’t they? After all, there’s no way a biological male can truly “feel” like a female — and vice-versa. Nor is there any way to quantify these “feelings”. Sex stereotypes, then, are the only ways these “gender identities” can be identified.
Deviations from sex stereotypes have become particularly foundational to gender ideology after doctors started claiming children as young as two years old can identify as “transgender”. Now, gender idealogues encourage parents to view every preference as a potential expression of “gender identity.”
“Your son wears dresses? He might be telling you he’s a girl,” they reason.
“Your daughter prefers toy trucks? She might be telling you she’s a boy,” they explain.
Opponents of gender ideology recognize that sex has nothing to do with sex stereotypes.
God designs people male and female, a cell-deep designation that cannot be changed. The perceived “femininity” and “masculinity” of our personalities, passions, preferences and talents have absolutely no bearing on our biology.
This fact frees humans from the bondage gender ideology tries to impose. It means women like Ilona Maher can play rugby, a traditionally masculine sport, without worrying that she might actually be a man.
In fact, Maher takes great pleasure in embracing femininity on the field. In an interview after winning the bronze medal, she told the press:
Maher encourages women to feel comfortable in their skin, even if they don’t fit people’s expectations of femininity. It’s a message of freedom that should be broadcast far and wide, especially to a generation of children being told that failing to adhere to sex stereotypes could mean that they were “born in the wrong body.”
Families, take your cue from Maher. Remind your kids sincerely and often that they don’t need to harm themselves to conform to someone else’s standard of masculinity or femininity. God has designed them perfectly in their sexed body — period, end of story.
And if you or your children happen to be on X … stay away from cyberbullying. Making fun of someone’s appearance is never the way to go.
Additional Articles and Resources
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