VICTOR JOECKS: Democrats double down on destroying women’s sports

When Democrats say “equal rights,” they mean allowing men to compete in women’s sports.

On Monday night, the U.S. Senate voted on the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025.” The bill would prohibit males from participating in female sports. It would apply to schools that receive federal funding.

Every Democrat voted against it, including Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. That was enough to prevent the bill from moving forward. Although Republicans have a Senate majority, 60 votes are required to break a filibuster.

This isn’t the first time Nevada Democrats have undermined women’s sports. In January, Nevada’s House Democrats, Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford, voted against a similar proposal.

Last week, the Nevadans for Equal Rights Committee filed an ethics complaint against Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony. The group claims his Task Force to Protect Women in Sports violates Nevada’s constitution.

One obvious problem: Men are bigger, faster and stronger than women. When male athletes compete in female events, they frequently dominate. Last month in California, a boy calling himself a girl won three jumping events at a track meet. His distance in the triple jump was more than 40 feet — eight feet farther than the girl who placed second.

On Tuesday, news broke that President Donald Trump had invited Payton McNabb to be his guest at the State of the Union. When she was 17 years old, McNabb’s volleyball team played against a team with a male player. The male athlete spiked a ball into her face. It struck her so forcefully that she suffered partial paralysis, vision loss and a brain bleed. That injury prevented her from playing collegiate softball. She’s unsure if she’ll ever fully recover.

In January, a New York Times poll found that the public opposes men in women’s sports, 79 percent to 18 percent. Even 67 percent of Democrats are against it. An ad attacking transgender insanity was one of Trump’s best performing spots of the past election cycle. After the election, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., suggested his party switch gears. “I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” he said.

Leftists attacked him vigorously, and he later voted against the House bill to protect female athletes. There’s no missing this message: Democrats have doubled down on men in women’s sports.

Trump and federal Republicans are aggressively pushing back. Some Nevada leaders, such as Anthony, are doing the same. But more is needed.

“Governor Lombardo would welcome protections for women’s sports” from the legislature, Elizabeth Ray, Gov. Joe Lombardo’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.

That’s a good start. Now, Lombardo needs to drive the issue. Go on offense against Democrats for not hearing bills from legislative Republicans that would do just that. Use your megaphone to call out Cortez Masto and Rosen.

Nevada Democrats have a losing hand here — but only Lombardo has the power and platform to force them to play it.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.