Deanna Killen is a public servant, mother and grandmother who lives in Georgetown.
For too long, I have stayed silent because of my professional position. As chief of staff for the Delaware Senate’s Republicans, I have had to be mindful that my words could be interpreted as representing my entire caucus, even when speaking about personal beliefs. But I can’t sit on the sidelines anymore. Silence isn’t neutrality; it’s complicity.
I am writing today as a woman, a former athlete, a mother of two daughters and a grandmother to a beautiful granddaughter. I owe it to them and to every girl fighting for fairness in sports to stand up and speak the truth.
In my years at Legislative Hall, I’ve seen contentious debates over education, public safety and economic policy. But never did I imagine we would be debating whether biological males should be allowed to compete in girls’ sports. If someone had told me 10 years ago that this would even be a conversation, I would have laughed in disbelief. And yet here we are. Today, this debate is at the forefront in Dover, sparking intense discussion and passionate disagreements.
The argument for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports is based on inclusivity. But inclusivity should not come at the expense of fairness. Title IX isn’t just about allowing girls to play sports; it is about breaking barriers in access to scholarships, coaching opportunities and professional athletics, to ensure a level playing field. That level playing field is being erased. No amount of hormone therapy can undo the physiological advantages of being born male — advantages like greater lung capacity, bone density, muscle mass, speed and endurance. If inclusivity is meant to ensure equal access to opportunities, then female athletes should not be placed at a disadvantage in their own category.
This fundamental difference in athletic performance is evident even at the highest levels of competition. In 2017, the U.S. women’s national soccer team, one of the most dominant teams in women’s soccer, lost 5-2 in a scrimmage against FC Dallas’ under-15 boys’ academy team. The result wasn’t an anomaly; former USWNT star Carli Lloyd later acknowledged that the team had also lost to a youth Bayern Munich team. As Lloyd herself posted on social media, “They should beat us. Bigger, stronger, faster.” Even the most accomplished female athletes must contend with the undeniable physiological advantages that come with being born male. This highlights the need to protect fairness in girls’ sports.
Some argue that excluding biological males from girls’ sports is discriminatory, but fairness isn’t discrimination. We separate athletes by weight class in wrestling and boxing; we separate age groups in youth sports — all to ensure fair competition. Why should girls’ sports be any different?
And, to be clear, this is not a debate about intersex athletes. Intersex conditions are rare and medically complex, and they should not be used as a distraction from the broader discussion about fairness in girls’ sports.
Through my work on policy initiatives in Dover, I have had young girls reach out to me, sharing their concern about protecting fairness in girls’ sports. They want policies that safeguard their opportunities, but they are afraid to speak out, worried about backlash, being labeled or jeopardizing their futures. What does it say about our society when young female athletes feel silenced for simply standing up for fairness?
I deeply respect the women before me who fought tirelessly for the rights we enjoy today. It breaks my heart to see women now protesting to surrender those rights and undermining their own progress. Protecting fairness in girls’ sports is not about resisting progress; it’s about preserving opportunity for future generations of female athletes.
There is a movement to silence women like me. I have been afraid to speak out, but fear should never be greater than truth. If you are a woman who feels the same way I do, speak up. Do not let fear or intimidation silence you. Do not let the threat of being labeled as something you are not keep you from standing for fairness.
I have no doubt these statements will face pushback, and that’s fine. What’s not fine is being dismissed by those who will never have to deal with this reality. My granddaughter and girls like her should not have to fight the same battles we already won. Girls have fought too long and too hard for these spaces, and we should not be forced to surrender them now. I encourage every woman, parent and coach who believes in fairness to join me in advocating for policies that protect female athletes. Our voices matter.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
