A petition has been started.
https://x.com/hogshead3au/status/2088424377972936782?s=46
Obviously I won’t post the direct link. But look for it on change dot com.
-start-
The WNBA Should Enact “Female-Only” Eligibility Criteria
I am calling on the WNBA to explicitly clarify that “woman” means female for eligibility purposes, and to protect fair and safe competition for female athletes.
The issue is not complicated. The WNBA exists for women and their fans. Biological female athletes deserve clear rules that ensure fair competition and uphold the opportunities that women's sports advocates have worked over decades to create and provide.
The NBA Board of Governors approved the WNBA in 1996, paving the way for elite female basketball players to have what previous generations were denied: a professional league and the chance to compete at the highest level.
The fundamental reason for separate categories in women's sports is obvious: biological differences lead to significant male / female disparities in strength, speed, power, and other physical traits that are crucial at the highest levels of competition.
Acknowledging these realities is not a mark of disrespect for women. We are designed perfectly, on a different developmental pathway from men.
Formal sex-segregation creates opportunities for females that wouldn’t exist if there were just one sports team. Strict enforcement of a female-only category is the only way to guarantee that right for the WNBA players and the league.
We urge the WNBA to restrict eligibility to biological women who have been female since birth. This is consistent with the International Olympic Committee, the NCAA, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, World Aquatics, and World Athletics, and is consistent with other sport categories that are strictly enforced - including age, weight, equipment, and drug testing. The female category should be enforced through sex screening, as the Women’s Tennis Association, another all-female professional league, now does.
Roster spots, records, championships, and careers are at stake. Our athletes deserve clarity, not ambiguity. We must apply the same rules consistently and allow women’s basketball to focus on the game itself.
It’s time for the WNBA to clearly define the "W" once and for all, ensuring that the next generation of women can trust in the integrity of their sport.
Signed,
Nancy Hogshead, J.D., OLY
-end-