Saturday, July 12, 2025
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Saturday, July 12, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

I Am Mama Bear, Hear Me Roar: Reclaiming Feminism to Protect Women and Girls [WRN VOICES]

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There will be a public hearing today at the capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on Assembly Bill 377 and Assembly Bill 378 Protect Women’s Sports. These bills would protect girls’ athletic opportunities, physical safety, and emotional well-being by ensuring that only biological females can compete in all-female sports competitions both in K-12 public schools.

“Whatever happened to I am woman, hear me roar?!” Asked an exasperated Representative Lisa McClain, chair of the House Oversight Committee Hearing on Protecting Female Athletics and Title IX. She, like many of us, is mad as hell that the definition of ‘sex’ under Title IX will soon include ‘gender identity,’ thereby eliminating female-only athletics in schools and universities and rewinding decades of progress in women’s rights.

Former NCAA Division I swimmer Riley Gaines also wants to know where the ‘feminists’ are ready to stand with female athletes and protect women’s sports. “I think it’s extremely ironic that the people advocating for this are the same party, the same people who were once advocating for women’s empowerment,” Gaines said to a crowd of over 200 at the “Courage Unleashed” event held in Milwaukee this Fall. “Where are the people who once believed that women, real women in all of their uniqueness, could conquer the world and deserve respect and equal opportunities?”

Gaines, a 12-time All-American and three-time Southeastern Conference champion, became a national hero when she made the courageous decision to publicly criticize the National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) ‘Gender Inclusion’ guidelines, which allowed for a biological male, Lia Thomas, to compete in all-female competitive athletics after just one year of hormone replacement therapy.

Because the NCAA doesn’t have the stones to do the right thing, “Thomas’ rank skyrocketed from 65th for men to 1st in the female 500-yard freestyle, and from 554th for men to 5th for women in the 200-yard freestyle.” Women’s sports are not a consolation category where mediocre male competitors – with the advantage of going through male puberty – can identify as a female, transition to the women’s category, and crush the competition. But that’s exactly what is happening, and it’s simply not fair.

Though deeply divided, I am old enough to remember a time when women on the political left and right could all agree that a crowning achievement of ‘feminism’ was Title IX, which ensured women and girls had the same educational opportunities and a level playing field in athletic sports.

To the surprise of many, including the infamous “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, so-called feminists are now more committed to woke identity politics than they are to the protection and safety of women and girls. As it turns out, the rise of false compassion for men identifying as transgender is a means to the end of censorship and control.

Woke ‘feminists’ would prefer a middle school in Vermont ban an entire group of embarrassed female students from the girls’ locker room than hurt the feelings of a boy who identifies as a girl.

Title IX is About Biological Sex, Not Gender Identity

The progressive playbook requires activists to make identity, even self-declared identities, the responsibility of the law. We must steadfastly reject this if we are to maintain civilizational sanity. We cannot pretend differences between men and women don’t exist, and there exists no fairy dust with which to simply wish biological sex away. Title IX deals with biological reality, not gender fluidity.

Title IX ensures that no one is denied equal access to educational opportunities based on sex. It played a significant role in ensuring girls can fairly compete in sports. Before the creation of Title IX, even the most talented female athletes wouldn’t have the same opportunities given to male athletes at school or university. Their teams might lack funding, be relegated to a recreation-only team, or sometimes not even have a competitive team on which to play.

With the dawn of Title IX, women could finally compete on a level playing field against other women, with similar opportunities as their male counterparts. Under the law, biological males are ineligible to compete on all female athletic teams, even those who identify as transgender “girls.”

In her testimony before the Committee on Education, Sarah Perry, the Senior Legal Fellow for the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation said,” While Title IX does not define “sex,” the term as used in that law was in the biological sense because its very purpose was to promote equality between the sexes.”

According to Perry, “Principles of fundamental fairness and equal opportunity must prevail over arguments for the ‘inclusion’ of males as females. They must if girls’ sports are to continue to exist at all.” Sports are competitive, and fair competition requires a level playing field. There are divisions, age brackets, and weight classes for a reason. College sports are for college athletes—professional sports are for pro athletes, and female sports should be for female athletes.

The Weaponizing of Title IX to Co-Opt and Invade Women’s Spaces

The Biden administration is poised to change the definition of sex in Title IX to include gender identity as a protected class and thus bring the 50-year-old law in line with the cultural zeitgeist of our day: Gender Ideology. The transgender craze isn’t lost on Democrats in Wisconsin either; they enthusiastically support gutting Title IX, even as Wisconsinites are still reeling from a recent locker room incident (that continues to make national news) in which an 18-year-old biological male in Sun Prairie showered naked next to four horrified freshman girls, exposing his male genitalia, telling them, “I’m trans, by the way.”

Engineers and architects cannot dismiss gravity or other measurable realities of a material world; legislators charged with crafting our laws cannot dismiss the measurable realities of biological sex. Denial of objective truth in favor of a lie, however noble and well-intentioned that lie may be, will create an unfair and potentially dangerous playing field for Wisconsin females engaged in sports. It already has.

When parents complained about their daughters’ unusual number of bruises, welts, and injuries, as well as fears of changing in the locker room with a biological male, the WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association), the superintendent, and the board refused to intervene. Like the NCAA, the WIAA operates as if Biden’s reimagined definition of “sex” under Title IX is already in effect, as do most school districts.

A year of hormone suppression accompanied by a self-declaration like “I’m Trans, by the way,” and abracadabra; a biological male can compete as a woman or girl, enter their private spaces, and rob females of accolades, opportunities, and sense of well-being.

The WIAA is not alone. In North Carolina, a transgender athlete on an all-female team spiked the ball, hitting an opposing player in the face, causing a concussion and neck injury severe enough to end her athletic career.

A 17-year-old female athlete in California suffered a similar injury after a trans-identifying opponent spiked a ball into her face. In November, a Massachusetts female high school field hockey player literally got her teeth knocked out by a male player. “The shrieks and screams of fear and pain that projected from her after being hit filled the stadium,” according to a teammate.

Shockingly, the left’s ability to warp language and redefine ‘sex’ to include men who self-identify as women has real-world consequences- males now enjoy a competitive advantage that enables them to physically dominate their female counterparts.

Follow the Science

The science is clear: one year of testosterone suppression therapy does not meaningfully change the faster muscle twitch response, greater bone density, greater muscle mass, and higher lung capacity that biological boys possess when compared to girls. Such biological distinctions, which give biological males a decided, if not overwhelming, advantage over females in athletic competition, cannot be suppressed. These advantages in contact sports will lead to physical harm. We cannot pretend biological reality away just because that truth conflicts with the political ideology of a zealous few.

A systematic review of 24 studies concluded that while trans-identifying males do experience a decrease in muscle mass, values for strength and muscle area in transwomen remain above those of biological women, even after 36 months of hormone therapy.

Girlhood and womanhood cannot be achieved with estrogen injections. Longer hair, lipstick, and wearing a sports bra do not define womanhood. No matter how distressed a young person feels, caring adults must tell them the truth and AFFIRM REALITY.

We cannot play make-believe and pretend males do not have a biological advantage over females regarding a higher cardiovascular capacity, greater bone density, and significantly more muscle mass. Sex is an immutable, biological, chromosomal reality that endocrinologists, pharmaceutical companies, or a wish upon a star cannot overcome.

They are Gaslighting Us

Objective people think that girls should not have to compete against boys in sports, nor should they have to use the same bathroom. Reasonable and concerned parents know that males and females should not be taking showers naked together in a high school locker room after gym class or a game. That’s a recipe for utter disaster.

All elected representatives should stand with parents committed to upholding girls’ and women’s rights. We are the feminists Now. Leftist radicals who tell us to ignore our lying eyes are experts at weaponizing compassion. Please don’t allow yourself or your community to fall prey to their gaslighting.

In a time when a majority of Americans can’t come to a consensus on anything, several recent polls show a walloping 70% of U.S. adults agree that transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on sports teams that do not correspond with their biological sex; translation: Biological males should not invade all-female athletics in K-12 schools or at the collegiate level.

Democrats on the ‘transgender or bust’ bandwagon know their radical ideology is deeply unpopular, so they resort to emotional blackmail and scare tactics to extract the natural, self-preserving instincts from women and girls…and shame on them for doing it.

On December 5th, 2023, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez testified that the ability of transgender-identifying males to play on all-female teams results in higher female participation. The implication is that girls can’t wait to shower in locker rooms next to biological men with fully intact genitalia. They are thrilled with the prospect of being dominated by men (pretending to be women) in a sport that they have spent their whole lives trying to master.

This is the most offensive gaslighting on the issue of women’s sports I’ve seen yet. Don’t believe the woke narrative. In fact, girls are dropping out of sports at unprecedented rates, which is what happens when ideologues erase women out of women’s sports. Pubescent girls already had higher drop-out rates in athletics compared to boys. Add the AOC transgender cheerleading squad to the mix, and the result is demoralization and avoidance.

Female competitors don’t want to contend with or against dudes in “all-female” athletic categories, and they don’t want to shower with them either. Females don’t play sports to provide a sense of belonging for biological boys, who feel really sad. Women and girls don’t play sports to make friends and braid each other’s hair; they want to compete. They want to win, but not with the deck stacked against them.

Truth Matters

In the end, this issue is about so much more than sports. According to Sarah Perry, Senior Legal Counsel for the Heritage Foundation, a sex binary—male and female—the understanding that there are only two sexes and that the opportunities for both must be equal under the law is the foundation upon which sex discrimination protections exist. “The entire canon of American civil rights law endures to protect the interests of all Americans, not elevate certain Americans to superior, privileged positions over others.

To allow space for female sports to open the door to biological males identifying as transgender women promotes a few, only to destroy the educational and athletic opportunities of the many. All but guaranteeing unfair outcomes for females. The inclusion of men means the exclusion of women. Celebrating trans males leads to denigrating biological females.”

Defending the Indefensible: False Compassion is Currency

Why are women willing to jump on the transgender rights bandwagon? Currency. Modern feminists on the left compete to see who can be the quickest to give women’s rights away and have the currency, or false status claim, of appearing ‘nice.’ This is the very definition of woke ‘virtue signaling.’ Woke women use’ kindness’ to score a political win against traditional, sane women.

According to Jordan Peterson, studies show that anti-social behavior among women often devolves into malicious slander and reputation destruction. Peterson also suggests that the maternal instinct leftist radicals are so desperate to suppress only transferred from caregiving for infants and children to mothering the “oppressed,” and at this moment, the oppressed include anyone who identifies as transgender and non-binary.

Now we can see why drag queens, men who are traditionally classified as autogynephiles (males sexually aroused by the idea of being a woman), are being welcomed into family-friendly events by predominately progressive females. The woke mind virus is so strong that radicalized mothers are suppressing their natural instinct to protect their own children and instead prioritize the feelings of the oppressed. Sacrificing their child’s well-being for the greater good is the ultimate sacrifice and renders a significant amount of currency.

This Faustian Bargain must be exposed, disrupted, and firmly rejected by sane Americans. Parents should never be required to create a space of ‘welcoming and belonging’ for those who would potentially cause their child, or any child, harm.

Have ‘We The People’ Lost Our Minds? No, we haven’t. Biden’s Title IX revisions, allowing men to play pretend in women’s and girls’ athletics, will radically undermine female sports and lead to the erasure of women and girls. We can’t let that happen. In such a time as this, we must protect our children from woke identity schemes. I know I will not stop fighting to protect the systematic elimination of my daughter’s rights, and there is an army of moms and dads behind me. I am Mama Bear, hear me roar.

You Can Help Protect Women’s Sports Right Now

“So-called feminists have abandoned us.” This sentiment of too many young women indicates that our support is needed now more than ever. Twenty-three states realize that PROACTIVE measures are necessary in order to prevent biological girls from being injured. They passed legislation that prohibits biological boys from playing on female athletic teams and protects the private changing areas of women and girls. We should not wait for more Wisconsin females to incur injury and/or have their safe space violated then act REACTIVELY with legislation.

Assembly Bill 377 and Assembly Bill 378 Protect Women’s Sports bills would protect girls’ athletic opportunities, physical safety, and emotional well-being by ensuring that only biological females can compete in all-female sports competitions both in K-12 public schools (and private schools that participate in the Parental Choice Program) as well as at the collegiate level. Please call and email your State Senators and Governor Evers and tell them to support AB 377 AND AB 378, as they are commonsense bills ensuring the fairness and safety of Wisconsin females participating in school athletics.

Public Hearing TODAY At the capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. Written testimony in support of these bills can be sent to the offices of Representative Dittrich and Senator Dan Knodl.

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“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

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Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.