Protecting Women's Sports Isn't Hateful, It's Common Sense

I've coached girls' basketball in West Virginia for nearly 50 years. When you spend that much time in a gym you get to see up close just how much these young women put into the game. You see them get up early, go to school all day, practice for hours, go home and do their homework, and then get right back after it the next day. You see what it means to make the team, to earn a starting spot, to win a championship, or maybe to have all that hard work turn into an opportunity to play in college. I've seen it in my own family as well. My daughter Jill was fortunate enough to earn a basketball scholarship, and I know how hard she worked for it and what that opportunity meant to her. So when I'm asked why I care so much about protecting women's sports, the answer really isn't complicated. I've spent a big part of my life around young female athletes, and I know what these opportunities mean. That's why, when I was governor of West Virginia, I signed the Save Women's Sports Act into law in 2021. It's also why I agree with WNBA player Sophie Cunningham when she says we ought to protect women's sports. Sophie has taken an awful lot of grief for speaking her mind, but she has also made clear that her position isn't about hating, or treating, anyone badly. It's about standing up for women and preserving fair competition. I think she's right, and I think an awful lot of Americans do also. Somehow we've reached a point where people act like you have to choose between treating transgender Americans with dignity and protecting women's athletics. I just don't buy that. Every person deserves kindness, respect and compassion. My faith teaches me that, and I believe it with all in me. But respecting everyone doesn't mean we have to ignore common sense or pretend that biological differences don't matter when it comes to athletic competition. Men and women are different. That doesn't mean one is better than the other, and it surely doesn't mean anybody should be mistreated. But those differences can matter on the court, on the field, in the pool, and on the track. That is part of the reason women's sports exist as a separate category in the first place. When I signed West Virginia's law, I wasn't sitting around looking for another political fight. Good gracious, we have enough of those already. I signed it because I believed it was the right thing to do, based on decades of watching girls compete and seeing firsthand what fair athletic opportunities can mean in their lives. For more than 50 years, Title IX has helped open doors that simply weren't open before. It has created more teams, more scholarships and more opportunities for generations of women and girls, and it has helped countless young women discover what they're capable of achieving. That is something worth protecting. Now, after years of litigation, the United States Supreme Court has upheld West Virginia's law and affirmed the principle that states can protect separate athletic opportunities for women and girls. I'm awfully proud that West Virginia stood its ground, and I think the decision should remind all of us what this debate is really supposed to be about. It isn't about attacking people, or about scoring political points. And it certainly shouldn't be an excuse for anybody to be cruel to transgender Americans. It is about making sure women and girls continue to have a fair chance to compete. That's why I think Sophie Cunningham deserves credit for being willing to say what she believes even when she knew she would take the heat for it. A professional female athlete ought to be allowed to say that women's sports matter without being treated like she has done something terrible. The same should be true for parents, coaches and, most importantly, the young women who are actually competing. You know, when I walk into a gym, I don't see some giant national culture war. I see kids playing ball. I see moms and dads sitting in the stands. I see coaches trying to teach young people that if you work hard, play together, get back up when you get knocked down and never quit, good things can happen. And I see young women who deserve to know that when they step onto that court or that field, the rules are fair. That's what I was trying to protect when I signed the Save Women's Sports Act. It's what the Supreme Court has now upheld, and it's what Sophie Cunningham is standing up for today. We ought to be able to have this conversation without demonizing anyone. We ought to be able to show compassion to people who see the world differently than we do while still protecting the opportunities women fought for generations to achieve. To me, that's not controversial, and it surely isn't hateful. Treat people with respect, love your neighbor and protect women's sports. That sounds like common sense to me. Jim Justice, II has served as the junior United States senator from West Virginia. He is a member of the Republican Party, and previously served as the 36th governor of West Virgina (2017-2025).