(LifeSiteNews) — The National Organization for Women played the racism and sexism card in response to a lawsuit seeking to protect women’s sports from gender-confused men.
“Repeat after us: Weaponizing womenhood against other women is white supremacist patriarchy at work,” the feminist group wrote on X (formerly Twitter). It was responding on Sunday to an Associated Press article about former NCAA female athletes suing to stop gender-confused men from competing and using women’s locker rooms.
“Making people believe there isn’t enough space for trans women [sic] in sports is white supremacist patriarchy at work,” NOW wrote.
NOW, though, has previously been criticized for not addressing racism concerns within the organization.
READ: Men who claim to be ‘transgender’ have won nearly 300 titles in female sports
Repeat after us: Weaponizing womenhood against other women is white supremacist patriarchy at work. Making people believe there isn’t enough space for trans women in sports is white supremacist patriarchy at work. https://t.co/SacFuIgpPd
— National NOW (@NationalNOW) March 31, 2024
It was not clear how a lawsuit seeking to stop males from competing against women advanced the “patriarchy” or white supremacy. The primary target behind the lawsuit appears to be former University of Pennsylvania swimmer William “Lia” Thomas, a male who began identifying as a woman and beating female swimmers. Thomas is white.
The lawsuit, filed in March 14, comes as males continue to dominate in women’s sports. A tracker called SheWon.org lists nearly 300 examples of gender-confused men beating women.
The plaintiffs are also all, of course, female athletes. However, this is not the first time the race card has been played in a dispute about biological realities of sex. A United Kingdom researcher also claimed opposition to letting gender-confused men into women’s locker rooms and bathrooms was rooted in “racism.”
NOW’s comments drew widespread criticism on social media.
“The National Organization of Women hates women,” Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer who competed against Thomas, wrote on X on Monday. She is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
“I’ve never seen so many oppression buzzwords in one sentence,” Gaines wrote the day prior. “Apparently, advocating for fair sport makes me a white supremacist. I wonder if my attorney will agree. (in case you were wondering, NOW stands for National Organization of Women lol).”
I’ve never seen so many oppression buzzwords in one sentence. Apparently, advocating for fair sport makes me a white supremacist. I wonder if my attorney will agree.
(in case you were wondering, NOW stands for National Organization of Women lol) https://t.co/f1O15daf9F
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) March 31, 2024
Commentator Megyn Kelly responded to NOW, saying, “you don’t stand for us, understand us, care about us or speak for us,” along with a vulgar remark.
Piers Morgan said the claim of racism was “genuinely laugh-out-loud hilarious… managing to be racist, misandrist, AND destructive to women’s rights all at the same time. Congrats!”
“Repeat after us: Female athletes deserve privacy, safety, & equal opportunity! Denying girls & women that is DISCRIMINATION,” Independent Women’s Forum wrote. “Women’s organizations should be fighting for women…”
Repeat after us: Female athletes deserve privacy, safety, & equal opportunity! Denying girls & women that is DISCRIMINATION.
Women’s organizations should be fighting for women… https://t.co/hIackzB2Fi
— Independent Women’s Forum (@IWF) April 1, 2024
Former Thomas teammate Paula Scanlan also mocked the comments.
“‘white supremacist patriarchy’ I advocate for these things as a mixed race person and I have an immigrant mother,” she wrote on X. “Why is this ALWAYS about race?”