Proposition 1 Threatens the Future of Girls’ Sports for High School Athletes

There is a clear distinction between boys and girls biologically. Boys and girls aren’t biologically the same.

Schools and Democratic lawmakers in Albany are misleading girls into thinking otherwise.

One fall afternoon, I found myself at the USTA Tennis Center in Queens.

Just weeks before, the courts were graced by the world’s top tennis players.

Here I was, representing my elite private high school on the girls’ varsity tennis team.

I felt nervous after hitting a few balls into the net.

But my nerves escalated when I saw my opponent: a boy.

His voice was deep.

He had broad shoulders and a stronger, bigger build compared to the girls.

He made no effort to pretend he was a girl.

Thanks to former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines and her exposure of the injustice of trans athletes in women’s sports, I understood that this was an unfair competition.

Trans athletes pose a physical threat to females.

Many girls have been injured while playing sports against biological boys.

In a 2022 incident that gained attention, North Carolina volleyball player Payton McNabb was knocked unconscious by a biologically male opponent spiking a ball at her head.

Biological boys are snatching medals from deserving girls who have dedicated their lives to sports.

Last week, the United Nations report revealed that girls lost 900 medals to biological males.

The boy at the Tennis Center was one of the top players on his school’s team.

I watched in disbelief as my teammate faced him in a singles match.

Worse still, I observed his coaches cheering him on.

I sympathized with the girl who was left out of the team due to him.

He was allowed to play against girls under the rules set by the New York State Association of Independent Schools that permit biological boys to identify as girls and compete on girls’ teams.

These are the regulations that every NYSAIS-accredited private school, including Dalton, Brearley, and many others, must adhere to.

Now, voters are on the brink of deciding if similar rules should be imposed statewide in New York.

If Proposition 1 is passed, it would change New York’s Constitution to allow boys to participate in girls’ sports teams.

I have no doubt that this would mark the end of girls’ sports.

For instance, a boy could claim to be a girl to play volleyball in the fall.

Then, if he wanted to join the baseball team in the spring, he could simply switch back to being a boy.

This madness could easily unfold if Prop 1 is approved.

Additionally, Prop 1 would enable males to invade female-only spaces.

I could be changing in a locker room after a tennis match, with no barrier preventing a boy claiming to be a girl from watching me.

This is alarming and should alarm the parents of every girl in New York.

Supporters argue that Prop 1, referred to as the “Equal Rights Amendment,” ensures the legality of abortions – however, New York already has stringent abortion laws.

Sports are a significant aspect of my life.

Playing sports keeps me healthy, is social, fun, and enhances my mental well-being.

Prop 1 would drive girls like me away from sports, resulting in heightened anxiety and depression.  

State legislators are tasked with ensuring our safety.

Our educational institutions are meant to instill the right moral values in us.

In this topsy-turvy world we live in, neither of those responsibilities is being fulfilled.

Unfortunately, I have to express these thoughts anonymously.

As seen with others who speak out, there would be severe repercussions for sharing my perspective. 

Previous generations of women fought for rights that are slowly slipping away.

Although I am not old enough to vote yet, I urge my fellow New Yorkers to resist this madness and vote no on Prop 1.

Anonymous is a student-athlete at a private high school in New York City.