Having XY chromosomes no longer disqualifies you from being celebrated during Women’s History Month, and it may even give you a boost.
The annual month-long celebration of women’s achievements every March wrapped up this year with a rising tally of male-born figures who now identify as female being honored by mainstream media outlets, leftist groups and even the White House.
LGBTQ advocates cheered the awards, calling them well-deserved recognition for gender-identity trailblazers like Rachel Levine, Leigh Finke and Lia Thomas, while critics blasted the honors as a blatant example of women being erased and replaced by men.
“To the women who’ve been pushed aside during #WomensHistoryMonth to affirm biological males, we see you,” tweeted the right-tilting Independent Women’s Forum. “To the female athletes who are being sidelined by biological males, we see you. No female deserves to be replaced by a male identifying as a woman.”
Many of those honored were lauded for their accomplishments on the transgender-rights front, including former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who competed for three years on the men’s swim team before transitioning.
ESPN featured the athlete in a “Celebrating Women’s History Month” segment, saying that “in 2022, swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship by winning the 500 freestyle.”
SEE ALSO: USA Today defends ‘Women of the Year’ honors for transgender legislator Leigh Finke
“People will say, oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win. I transitioned to be happy,” said Lia Thomas in the spot.
The segment drew plenty of pushback, notably from Riley Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer who tied with Thomas at the 2022 championships in the 200 freestyle.
“Lia Thomas is not a brave, courageous woman who EARNED a national title. He is an arrogant, cheat who STOLE a national title from a hardworking, deserving woman. The @ncaa is responsible,” tweeted Ms. Gaines. “If I was a woman working at ESPN, I would walk out.”
Lia Thomas is not a brave, courageous woman who EARNED a national title. He is an arrogant, cheat who STOLE a national title from a hardworking, deserving woman. The @ncaa is responsible.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 26, 2023
If I was a woman working at ESPN, I would walk out. You’re spineless @espn #boycottESPN https://t.co/DF3n5RWsmV
First lady Jill Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken kicked off the month by presenting one of the State Department’s 2023 International Women of Courage awards to transgender activist Alba Rueda, Argentina’s special envoy for sexual orientation and gender identity.
Among the envoy’s achievements: “She actively campaigned to change the name of the National Women’s Conference to the ‘Plurinational Conference of Women and Lesbian, Cross-Dresser, Transgender, Bisexual, Intersex and Non-Binary Persons’ to include diverse, dissident, and racialized identities,” said the State Department.
The American Civil Liberties Union honored two transgender figures this year for Women’s History Month: Aimee Stephens, the plaintiff in a pivotal 2020 Supreme Court case upholding gender-identity rights in employment, and Andraya Yearwood, a former Connecticut girls’ track champion.
“As our plaintiff, Andraya fought in court for her right to play sports as a trans girl, securing a victory for trans student athletes,” said the ACLU. “This Women’s History Month, we applaud Andraya for her leadership, courage, and dedication to fighting discrimination in women’s sports.”
Four female track runners sued over state rules allowing male athletes who identify as female to compete in girls’ sports in 2020 after losing to Yearwood and another male-to-female transgender runner, Terry Miller. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals is slated to rehear the case.
USA Today ignited a backlash for naming Health and Human Services assistant secretary Rachel Levine as one of its 2022 Women of the Year, and doubled down this year by honoring Democratic state Rep. Leigh Finke, a first-term state legislator elected in November.
“In November after her first bid for public office, Finke became the first transgender legislator appointed to the Minnesota House of Representatives after winning 81% of the vote in her district,” USA Today said.
The lawmaker was named as the Woman of the Year from Minnesota. Jennifer Braceras, director of Independent Women’s Law Center, retorted that “USA TODAY would have us believe that there is not a single woman in the entire state of Minnesota who is as accomplished and worthy of honor as a trans-identified male.”
Those spotlighted by the city of Chicago for Women’s History Month included Maliyah Londyn, a male-to-female transgender actress and model who sits on the city’s LGBTQ Advisory Council.
The last day of Women’s History Month coincided with Trans Day of Visibility, which drew commentary on both the right and left.
“#WomensHistoryMonth coming to a close as #TransDayofVisibility approaches calls for an even bigger celebration of women because yes, trans women ARE women,” tweeted the streaming platform Paramount+.
Disagreeing was Cat Cattison, who detransitioned back to female after identifying as male, calling it “telling that the Transgender Day of Visibility falls on the final day of Women’s History Month.”
“Pride Month, in June, already exists to honor the LGBTQ+ community,” said Ms. Cattinson in National Review. “Why must one of the days of Women’s History Month also be devoted to the acknowledgment of trans-identifying people?”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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