There are calls to speak up for Governor Janet Mills because she is a woman. Meanwhile, she will not speak up for girls because they are gi
As a womanist, I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for the rights, dignity, and empowerment of women—particularly women and girls who have been overlooked, silenced, and oppressed by systems that favor the powerful. We’ve come a long way in this struggle, but there are still so many battles left to fight.
One of those battles is the protection and expansion of opportunities for women and girls—especially in spaces like sports, education, and leadership, where we are often told we don’t belong or have to fight twice as hard to be seen.
So when I hear people defending Maine’s Governor for her stance on Title IX and her decision to block protections for girls in sports, I have to speak out. It’s not a matter of defending women—it’s a matter of denying them. It’s a betrayal of everything we’ve fought for as women, as feminists, and as human beings who know the value of equal opportunity.
Now, I understand the perspective of those who claim that this Governor, as a woman, deserves support for being a “trailblazer” or for standing up against certain policies.
But let’s be clear: true trailblazing doesn’t come at the expense of others. It doesn’t mean cutting opportunities for young girls who are already struggling to be seen in a world that so often pushes them to the sidelines. It doesn’t mean invalidating the hard-earned progress that women have made to secure their own spaces, their own chances to excel.
The Governor’s stance on Title IX—specifically her support for allowing biological males to compete against biological females in women’s sports—is not about protecting women; it’s about ignoring the unique challenges women and girls face in a world that was not built for us.
It’s about denying those very challenges, and the power we’ve fought so hard to claim, by refusing to protect spaces where women can thrive independently.
Here’s where it gets personal: As a womanist, I am compelled to protect the spaces where women and girls can develop their strength, their talent, and their leadership.
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Girls need safe, equitable environments to grow, and in sports, they need opportunities that aren’t diluted by a system that doesn’t fully understand or respect their realities. They deserve a space where their hard work, their dedication, and their very essence as women can shine—without being overshadowed by systemic disadvantages that we’re still trying to overcome.
It’s heartbreaking that some would argue in favor of policies that undermine this.
When we deny women and girls the ability to compete fairly, we are telling them that their worth doesn’t matter.
We are telling them that their struggles, their accomplishments, and their identity as women don’t count. And if we, as women, allow that to happen, we are not supporting each other—we are perpetuating the same cycles of inequality we’ve been fighting against for generations.
This isn’t about animosity or division—it’s about love and protection for the most vulnerable among us. It’s about ensuring that girls are not forced to compete in a system that doesn’t honor their bodies, their needs, or their experiences. It’s about acknowledging that, despite the advances we’ve made, women still face unique challenges—physically, emotionally, and socially—that deserve recognition and respect.
So, while I respect the right for anyone to express their opinion, I cannot in good conscience support a policy that erases women’s achievements and opportunities. We need leaders who stand with us—not against us.
We need leaders who recognize that true progress for women comes not from dismantling the protections we’ve fought for, but from building on them—strengthening them, expanding them, and ensuring that every girl, regardless of race, class, or background, has the opportunity to excel in her own right.
I will always support women— women who stand up for one another, who fight for fairness, and who create spaces where all women, especially the most vulnerable, can rise. But when we support policies that shut down opportunities for girls and women, we aren’t lifting each other up. We’re pushing each other down.
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So, let’s stand with the women and girls who need our protection, not with those who seek to erase their spaces.
True leadership is about ensuring that all women are seen, heard, and respected—especially the ones who need it the most.
Final note: NONE of these folks trying to justify taking from girls are even considering pulling any resources from boy’s athletics to support their position. Punishing, hating on, and stripping girls is the entire point. They just found a socially acceptable way to do it.
Because if you can’t be a good leader without harming women and girls, then maybe you are not a good leader after all.
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