Independent Women’s Network Colorado Chapter Leader on Capitol Hill Advocating for Fairness and Equity in Women’s Sports
Denver, CO — Independent Women’s Network (IWN), the national grassroots community activist arm of Independent Women’s Voice, was represented on Capitol Hill this week by IWN Denver Chapter Leader Megan Burke for National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Burke, a former 2x NCAA champion, track & cross country athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, met with lawmakers to address the growing threats female athletes who are being forced to compete against biological males face and to advocate for protecting the integrity of women’s sports.
“As a former Division I athlete and mother to two girls, fairness in female sports has been top of mind for me as of late. The fact that we are allowing male athletes to compete in female sports is mind boggling. It is unfair and it is unsafe. In the name of inclusion we are excluding women. No amount of hormone suppressant will make a male a female, and that is just a fact,” said IWN’s Denver Chapter Leader Megan Burke. “With the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week, and with the support of House Republican leaders, I believe we are really moving the needle and the momentum is building. Now, we need more people to jump into this fight. I call on former athletes, current athletes, moms, dads, and women to use your voice to stand up for girls and women, and keep female sports female.”
Earlier that morning, with the support of Independent Women’s Network, Representatives Greg Steube and Claudia Tenney introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. Burke was escorted to the House Floor to witness the introduction. The bill amends Title IX to strengthen protections for female athletes and make clear that allowing biological males to take awards, roster spots, scholarships, or spots at a school from female athletes is discriminatory and illegal.
United States Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy held a panel discussion led by Independent Women’s Network and Independent Women’s Forum representatives, including 12x NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, on the discrimination women athletes face in sports today and what lawmakers can do to fight for preserving fairness and equity in sports. Click here for the link to watch the full panel discussion in the U.S. Capitol.
Photos from National Girls & Women in Sports Day on Capitol Hill:
Before introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act on the House Floor, Rep. Claudia Tenney, co-sponsor of the bill, joined female athletes outside the Capitol: Independent Women’s Forum Spokeswoman Riley Gaines, Independent Women’s Network Chapter Leaders Megan Burke (Colorado) and Margo Knorr (North Dakota).
Megan Burke with Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI), cosponsor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy with athletes Margo Knorr, Riley Gaines, Macy Petty, and Chloe Satterfield for National Girls & Women in Sports Day Speaker Panel.
Megan Burke with fellow athletes and panelists in the U.S. Capitol for National Girls & Women in Sports Day.
IWN Background:
IWN was created to build a supportive community for women and to give them the tools they need to make a positive difference in their neighborhoods and our country.
An engaging and growing community of independently-minded women work together to advance shared principles through chapter gatherings and the IWN online movement. Membership to IWN opens access to message boards, curated news, smart content, a resource center, exclusive events, and an action center.
Members of the community who are interested in joining Independent Women’s Network Denver chapter should email IWN Membership Director Jenny Avis (jenny.avis@iwnetwork.com) or visit iwnetwork.com for more information.
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www.iwnetwork.com
Independent Women’s Network, a project of Independent Women’s Voice, in partnership with Independent Women’s Forum, is a positive, supportive community of engaged, informed, and activated women working together to inspire, interact, influence, and have impact.
