Florida AG threatens legal action against U.S. Masters Swimming: 'Keep men out of women's sports'

Florida AG threatens legal action against U.S. Masters Swimming

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier hosted a news conference on Tuesday morning in Orlando to address U.S. Masters Swimming. The AG said the organization needs to keep men out of female competitions and locker rooms. Otherwise, he said they will face a lawsuit.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is demanding that U.S. Masters Swimming, a nonprofit based in the Sunshine State, certify it will not allow any biological men to continue to compete in women's sports or enter their locker rooms. If they continue to do so, he said, the organization will face a lawsuit. 

Seeking action against U.S. Masters Swimming

What we know:

Uthmeier announced the news at a press conference on Tuesday morning in Orlando. He was joined by Kim Jones, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, and Anastasios Kamoutsas, Florida Department of Education Commissioner.

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Uthmeier said many of the nonprofit's largest competitions in recent years have resulted in their victors being biological men. Over the last month, he said the organization has instituted a new temporary policy to "protect women's sports," which the attorney general said "does not get the job done." He also said biological men using women's locker rooms "will not be tolerated."

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the news at a press conference on Tuesday morning in Orlando. 

What's next:

U.S. Masters Swimming has multiple events scheduled over the next few months in Florida.

Uthmeier said he hopes the nonprofit will "do the right thing" and certify in writing that they are going to ensure no biological men are going to be able to participate in any event with women. He said additional legal action will be taken if this is not seen to.

The backstory:

U.S. Masters Swimming is a Florida-based national nonprofit that offers events, swim clubs and competitions. 

The group recently changed its policy to allow members to register for "the competition category that aligns with their gender identity and/or expression and to participate in sanctioned events in that category." The policy also prevents members from being included in "Recognition Programs" unless they are competing within their biological sex.  

‘We are the state that woke goes to die’

What they're saying:

"This is not acceptable and does not fly with Florida law," Uthmeier said. "This is not right. We will use every tool at our disposal … to ensure that we are protecting women and girls. It still seems insane to me that we're having this conversation in this country, but we will always fight for what's right in Florida. We're the state that woke goes to die, and that's going to continue. We will always fight for what's right and just."

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"Women are not the equivalent of weakened or hampered men," Jones said. "That insult is breathtaking. The insanity of allowing boys into girls sports feeds on silence to continue. Justice is restored when we speak the truth and take a stand. … There are lines that cannot be crossed."

Cassidy Carlisle, a young athlete from Maine, also shared her perspective on the topic. She said she was forced to change in the same locker room as a transgender student when she was in the seventh grade and was beaten in sports by a biological male over and over because "the playing field wasn't even."

"This isn't about exclusion, it's about fairness," she said. "Every girl deserves the chance to compete with the confidence that her effort truly matters."

Push to repeal Florida's transgender athletes law

There is a new push to repeal the Fairness in Women's Sports Act that became law during the 2021 Florida Legislative Session. The law says that only biological females can compete in girls' sports. New legislation would repeal the ban, which some feel further isolates transgender students.

'Fairness in Women's Sports Act'

Big picture view:

In July 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1028, also known as the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," into law. This law designates athletic teams or sports sponsored by public secondary schools and postsecondary institutions as being for males, females or co-ed based on the biological sex at birth of the team members. 

The law reflects a stance similar to President Donald Trump's position on transgender athletes in sports. Trump signed an executive order in February aimed at preventing transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, and his administration has sued California over its transgender athlete policies. 

Both DeSantis and Trump argue that allowing transgender women to compete in female sports is unfair to cisgender female athletes and compromises the integrity of women's sports.