WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, Independent Women urges Members of the U.S. Senate to consider America’s women and girls and vote “YAY” on the procedural vote to advance the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, which, if passed, would codify President Trump’s executive order prohibiting men from competing in school athletic programs that are designated for women. For years, Independent Women has worked closely with Senator “Coach” Tommy Tuberville and Representative Greg Steube on this legislation, which quickly became a day-one priority for the 119th Congress and passed the House with bipartisan support in January.
Independent Women Ambassadors Paula Scanlan and Coach Kim Russell and Independent Women’s Law Center Founder Jennifer C. Braceras join Sen. Tuberville for a women’s sports roundtable discussion (left); Independent Women joins President Trump for the signing of his women’s sports executive order (right).
Last month, Independent Women ambassadors and female athletes who have been directly impacted by the male takeover of female sports joined President Trump for the signing of his Keeping Men Out of Women Sports executive order. Yet, some blue states — like Maine and California — are attempting to reject this common-sense, pro-woman, and pro-science executive order. The Senate must get Tuberville’s women’s sports bill across the finish line to codify protections for female athletes into law and guarantee future generations of women and girls the right to single-sex sports, privacy, and safety.
In the Senate for the 119th Congress, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 bill number is marked S.9 in honor of Title IX. More than 50 years ago, Congress enacted Title IX, a simple non-discrimination statute that prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex. The federal law ensures equal opportunity in all aspects of education, including athletics. Without single-sex teams and single-sex competition, men will dominate women in competitive sports and erase the right to equal opportunity. Allowing men to participate in women’s sports is not only discriminatory and illegal, it undermines years of progress for women in America.
FOX NEWS OP-ED today by Independent Women President Carrie Lukas and Vice President Victoria Coley calling on senators to stand with women here.
AD “Tell Your Senators to Stand with Female Athletes” by Independent Women on today’s vote here.
Carrie Lukas, president of Independent Women, said, “Independent Women has been proud to help bring us to this moment—when 80% of Americans solidly support laws to keep women’s sports female. Groups across the political spectrum are now regularly calling for policymakers to stand up and protect women’s rights and the safety and dreams of female athletes. I hope Senate Democrats, indeed all senators, will listen to female athletes today and stand up in support of fairness and common sense.”
Independent Women, recognizing the overwhelming support among Americans for women-only sports and spaces, launched the Riley Gaines Stand With Women Scorecard in September 2024. The Scorecard has proven impact, delivering a 90% win rate in the 2024 Election for those who were Riley Gaines “approved” – showcasing a mandate for leaders who stand with women and will fight against increasing threats to women’s rights, opportunities, and spaces.
Riley Gaines joins Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to celebrate House passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (left); Ambassadors Paula Scanlan, Riley Gaines, and Kim Russell meet with legislators on Capitol Hill in support of women’s sports (right).
During the 119th Congress, the Stand With Women Scorecard is evaluating lawmakers’ commitment to supporting legislation that preserves female opportunities and private spaces. It will hold policymakers accountable, including by scoring today’s procedural vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
Jordanne Kemper, campaign director at Independent Women, said, “We saw firsthand the consequences candidates face at the ballot box when they fail to Stand with Women. Since launching the Riley Gaines Stand with Women Scorecard last September, scorecard ‘approved’ candidates earned a 90% win rate, including unseating senators in Montana, Pennsylvania and Ohio, who received failed scores on the 2024 scorecard. Keeping women’s sports female is overwhelmingly supported by Americans and should be the easiest thing for every single U.S. Senator to do as they cast their vote to keep men out of women’s sports. Independent Women‘s Voice will be scoring this vote and ensuring every single American has access to how each Senator votes today. We are all watching who stands with women and who does not.”
Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor for Independent Women, said, “This bill is necessary to bolster Title IX’s protection for women and girls in athletics. We saw the previous administration completely demolish the intent of Title IX by requiring men to invade women’s private spaces and sports, and it’s imperative this never happens again. Legally, the only way to preserve Title IX’s protections for women and insulate them from endless litigation is to codify into law that ‘sex’ clearly means ‘reproductive biology and genetics at birth.’ It is essential that sex-based distinctions become the law of the land to prevent being superseded by future EO’s, policies, rules or regulations.”
Julie Gunlock, director of Independent Women’s Network, the national grassroots community activist arm of Independent Women, said, “Our network of 183,000 independent-minded women are hopeful that the US Senate will do the right thing and protect women’s sports. Members of our network, in a variety of states, have spoken out and stood up for the women and girls who have lost medals, placements on podiums, scholarships, and a future in sports! They have told their own stories and shared the pain of watching their daughters lose to boys who are unfairly allowed to dominate competition. Those days are over. The Independent Women’s Network is watching and hoping that the Senate rights this obvious wrong.”
Adriana McLamb, former D-1 volleyball player, recruiting coordinator to aspiring collegiate female volleyball athletes and marketing director and spokeswoman for Independent Women, said, “Female athletes, like myself and many others, for years have been using their voices and demanding equality and opportunity in their sports. We have seen momentous wins in the House, courts, and on the President’s desk. Now it’s the Senate’s turn to listen to their constituents and to every single female athlete they represent and pass the Protection of Women and Girls’ Sports Act. It is time to keep women’s sports female once and for all.”
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