Copyright Baltimore News
Two former Olympic athletes have partnered with a sportswear company that advocates for the separation of male and female competition. Gymnast McKayla Skinner, who won a silver medal in 2021 at the Tokyo games, and swimmer Nancy Hogshead, a three-time gold medal winner in the 1984 Los Angeles events, are joining with XX-XY Athletics to speak out about the matter. “Olympic athletes are the ultimate competitors, training right now to be the best in the world,” CEO Jennifer Sey said in a . “They’re not giving their podium away anymore.” Skinner has creative control over a content series XX-XY Athletics is starting. She’s excited to partner with the company, which she called “pro-woman,” to tell her story “as an athlete and a woman.” “Finding my voice has been hard – there's no training for that. But every female athlete should find and use hers,” Skinner said. “No one trains you for moral courage or unwavering positivity – that's a different kind of journey. I’m going to share that too.” She added that she is using her platform to be a positive role model for female athletes. Other athletes have expressed concern over advocacy like Skinner’s. Soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who won a gold medal at the 2012 London games, has advocated for transgender inclusion for years. She said in a 2023 that women’s sports had been “weaponized.” “’You’re taking a ‘real’ woman’s place,’ that’s the part of the argument that’s still extremely transphobic. I see trans women as real women,” Rapinoe told Time magazine. “What you’re saying automatically in the argument—you’re sort of telling on yourself already—is you don’t believe these people are women. Therefore, they’re taking the other spot. I don’t feel that way.” Hogshead said in a statement that only for female competition can guarantee women “fair, safe and respectful competition.” “More than 500 Olympians & Paralympians are playing it forward by signed [sic] Champion Women’s petition; they understand the dedication required to success and firmly support future generations of athletes by advocating for a level playing field for all,” Hogshead noted, referring to a petition from her female athlete advocacy organization. A group of over 400 Olympic, Paralympic, professional and collegiate athletes have also called on the NCAA to protect transgender competition. They wrote in a to the association’s board of governors last year that so-called efforts to “protect women’s sports" actually fail to address any “real, documented” threats to women. “To deny transgender athletes the fundamental right to be who they are, to access the sport they love, and to receive the proven mental and physical health benefits of sport goes against the very principles of the NCAA’s Constitution,” the letter's authors wrote. Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at . Use of XX-XY brand photos in this story does not imply affiliation or endorsement of the company.
