Macey Boggs, a University of Wyoming volleyball player, powerfully shared her experience of being forced to forfeit two matches against San Jose State due to the participation of a transgender athlete, Blaire Fleming. This event, which has ignited a debate about fairness and inclusion in women's sports, led Boggs to testify before a state senate hearing in support of a bill that would mandate participation in athletic competition based on biological sex at birth.
University of Wyoming women's volleyball player Macey Boggs shared her harrowing experience at a state senate hearing, detailing how her team was forced to forfeit two matches against San Jose State in 2024 due to the participation of a transgender player, Blaire Fleming.
Boggs, one of eleven former or current Mountain West volleyball players embroiled in a lawsuit against SJSU and the conference, spoke passionately in support of a bill that would mandate participation in athletic competition based on an athlete's biological sex at birth. However, for Boggs, no legislation can erase the sting of her lost opportunity to compete in the postseason. The two forfeits on Oct. 5 and Nov. 14 ultimately cost Wyoming a spot in the Mountain West Tournament, effectively ending her collegiate career. 'My team was punished with two losses for refusing to play against a male athlete on an opposing team, an injustice that ultimately kept us from competing in the Mountain West Tournament,' Boggs stated. 'I was stripped of a chance to play my final collegiate matches because we faced a situation no woman should ever have to face, either compete against a team rostering a male athlete on a woman's scholarship or forfeit the rest of our season. No woman should have to face such a decision. 'We deserve to compete against athletes whose biology matches our own, not against a male standard.' Sacrificing a chance to compete for a championship to ensure the safety and well-being of her teammates left an indelible mark on Boggs. 'My team was told we didn't deserve safety on the court, that we weren't important enough for fair competition and that women should remain silent for the benefit of men,' she lamented. 'This issue is about more than just wins and losses. It's about whether we respect women and girls.' Wyoming Republican state Sen. Wendy Schuler, a former collegiate athlete herself, introduced the bill and chairs the Senate Education Committee. Boggs urged the state legislators to pass the bill, advocating for the protection of future women's athletes from enduring similar situations. The bill was passed with a 4-1 vote. Already, 25 states have implemented laws prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports. A national bill to achieve the same outcome has already cleared the House of Representatives. Boggs hopes her story can serve as a catalyst for lawmakers to prevent such occurrences from happening elsewhere. 'While it may be too late for me to finish my career on the terms that my team earned, it's not too late for the young girls coming up behind us,' she asserted. 'It is fundamentally unfair, unsafe and a violation of women's rights to force women to compete with or against biological males.' Boggs firmly believes that sex is determined at birth and 'not by feelings.' The other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser, Alyssa Sugai, Elle Patterson, Nicanora Clarke, Kaylie Ray, Sia Li'ili'i, Sierra Grizzle, Jordan Sandy, Katelyn Van Kirk and Kiersten Van Kirk. Former SJSU assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, who was suspended by San Jose State after filing a Title IX complaint alleging preferential treatment given to the transgender player, is also a plaintiff. Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and prominent conservative influencer who actively advocates for women's athletes impacted by transgender inclusion, revealed her account of the players' ordeal, based on conversations with them. During a January 9 hearing in Idaho, Gaines stated, 'They were emotionally blackmailed into believing they were the problem,' emphasizing that Boise State was the only university that provided administrative support to players who desired to forfeit. Marshi Smith, co-founder of the legal advocacy group Independent Council on Women's Sports, testified that the female athletes involved in the lawsuit felt apprehensive about potential retaliation from their university if they spoke out against transgender inclusion. 'What will they do to us for speaking up?' the players often inquired, according to Smith, who elaborated on these concerns in a subsequent statement to Fox News Digital. 'They’re often terrified of losing scholarships or being kicked off their teams,' Smith explained.
WOMEN's SPORTS TRANSGENDER ATHLETES UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING VOLLEYBALL MACEY BOGGS BLAIRE FLEMING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY FAIR COMPETITION TITLE IX
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