Blowing the Whistle on Canadian Women & Sport

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Gender Dissent
Gender Dissent

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blowing the whistle on Canadian women & sport organization that supports men in women's sports
Read time 10 min.

“It might take some courage and innovative leadership to curtail male incursion into women’s sport, but it will be necessary if we are to centre girls in their own categories.”

Dear Canadian Women & Sport,

Thank you for the information I received via email on October 1 2025 on the “bold new national campaign that puts girls in the power position and challenges the sports system to listen, learn and act so we can keep more of them in the game.”

I’m glad to hear that you have launched “a free hub of research-based resources for coaches, policy makers, sports leaders, and corporate decision-makers inspired by listening to girls” and that you are “working to remove barriers and reimagine a sport system that works for all girls.”

canadian women and sport position on trans inclusion in womens sports

“We believe true gender inclusion means welcoming trans athletes in women’s sports.”

—Canadian Women and Sport

It is indeed disheartening to learn that half of girls are not playing sports by age 17. It’s great that you are giving grants to community sport and physical activity organizations who are working to remove barriers and expand opportunities for girls.

Blowing the Whistle on Canadian Women & Sport- CWS Grant Eligibility includes men and boys in women and girls sports

Happy to hear that you have paired up with corporate sponsors who are looking at “two often-overlooked barriers in girls’ sport: body confidence and the menstrual cycle” and that “Together, we can reimagine sport through girls’ lived experiences.”

Blowing the Whistle on Canadian Women & Sport: CWS Funders and Supporters
A screenshot of a webpage section for the "Silver Gummy" foundation, split into two halves. On the left is a photograph of a smiling young woman with long brown hair, wearing a blue top, seated outdoors near a wooden structure with a blurred natural background of trees and weathered wood. On the right, a bold black headline reads: "Building Positive Gender Identities for Indigenous Youth." Below it, body text states: "As part of our commitment to reconciliation, the Silver Gummy Foundation is building relationships with Indigenous organizations whose mandate is to create positive gender identities for Indigenous youth through the reclamation of culture, epistemology and youth-driven participatory approaches to change. We recognize that change is only possible when research institutions, community programming, schools and youth have reciprocal relationships of teaching and learning. For more information please email the Knowledge Keepers Council – kkc@silvergummy.org" (the email address displayed in green text). In the bottom right corner is the "Silver Gummy" logo, featuring a grey illustrated bear cub above the text "Silver gummy" in a green handwritten-style font.
Silver Gummy is a funder and supporter of Canadian Women and Sport. Silver Gummy also provides grants to indigenous organizations with the mandate to “create positive gender identities for youth.”
Source: https://silvergummy.org/our-impact/

Also good news that you are observing Concussion Awareness Week to “foster a culture of safety and responsibility in sports by providing valuable information and resources to athletes, coaches, parents and healthcare professionals.”

All of these are valuable goals that I wholeheartedly support. Another bold, pioneering move, might be to reinstate sex-segregated change rooms, bathrooms and teams for girls, such as existed prior to 2016.

Screenshot of a tweet by Christine Lilge posted on Oct 1. "Here's a potential solution [to] girls not wanting to participate in sports: all girls sports are girls only!"

Since the passing of Federal Bill C-16 (2017), many community centres and sports leagues have interpreted federal law to mean that males must be included in female change rooms, bathrooms and leagues, based on a declaration of “gender”.

Many girls’ “lived experience” makes them reluctant to change clothing or use the toilet in the company of males. Many female athletes’ “lived experience” tells them that competing against males is unsafe. Concussion risk is but one example.

Males have a spectrum of motivations for wanting to identify into girls’ spaces and sports. Some wish to exercise the superior size, strength and speed conferred by male puberty, against female opponents.

Blowing the Whistle on Canadian Women & Sport: Lia Thomas on NCAA podium
Transgender-identifying swimmer, Lia (Will) Thomas (L) of the University of Pennsylvania on the podium, literally standing head and shoulders above the rest of his opponents, after winning the 500-yard freestyle as other medalists (L-R) Emma Weyant, Erica Sullivan and Brooke Forde pose for a photo at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship on March 17, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Some wish to witness what goes on inside girls’ change rooms.

A screenshot of a CHEK News website page. The header shows the "chek NEWS" logo (with a stylized blue and green checkmark icon) alongside a navigation menu with dropdown options: NEWS, WATCH, WEATHER, EVENTS, ABOUT CHEK, CONTACT US. In the top right corner is a promotional badge reading "Stream on chek+" next to a search icon. Below the header, a blue category label reads "ISLAND NEWS," followed by the bold headline: "Mother reports Nanaimo Aquatic Centre change room incident to police." Beneath the headline is a small circular author photo of a man, with the byline "by Kendall Hanson" and the timestamp "February 6, 2023 7:25 pm."

“Janayh Wright was about to change in the women’s change rooms Friday when she says she noticed a person wearing a wig and face mask without a bag, towel or swimsuit. Wright says she then saw the person starting to look around in the showers then get into a stall close to her nine-year-old daughter’s.” – Kendall Hanson, Chek News

For still others, it is the age-old thrill of inciting powerless rage from humiliated teenage girls, who are now told that under no circumstance are they ever to set a boundary between themselves and a man who demands access. #BeKind.

EXCLUSIVE: Girl athletes silenced over concerns about male teammate in dorms by Candice Malcolm

Members of Team Nova Scotia’s girls’ volleyball roster returned from the Canada Cup in Toronto under threat of sanctions after raising private concerns about competing against a male teammate.

Read on Substack

It might take some courage and innovative leadership to curtail male incursion into women’s sport, but it will be necessary if we are to centre girls in their own categories.

Twitter screenshot from Oct from an account @MaureenWRC, her name is Maureen with three hears (green, white, purple, the colours of the suffragettes). The text of the tweet says "Allowing boys to take girls spaes in sports is happening across (Canada flag). Stop gaslighting us.

Lest you conclude that I am exaggerating the extent of the problem, I am forwarding correspondence I had with the City of Ottawa over the summer of 2025, which clarifies beyond a shadow of a doubt that girls’ spaces and programs are largely there as theatres of “affirmation” for boundary-pushing males.

this change room is for men (and women who consent to undressing with them) - part one

If you or your sponsors are interested in bringing about some discussion on policies that would centre girls in their own athletic spaces, you may wish to contact any of the legislators copied on this email. They have all been aware of the City of Ottawa’s male-inclusion policies since early August of 2025.

this change room is for men (and women who consent to undressing with them) - part two

Thanks again for your initiative. Girls’ sport is a really important issue. Let’s consider bringing girls back into the discussion.

— Concerned Canadian Woman

A screenshot of a government funding record displayed on a light blue background, formatted as a series of labeled data fields in dark navy text. It reads: a hyperlinked title "Canadian Women And Sport," followed by "$325,000.00," "Feb 1, 2023," "Not-for-profit organization or charity," "Commercial Women's Sport Initiative," a reference code "NA220088," and the funding period "from Feb 1, 2023 to Jan 31, 2025." Below is a paragraph of program description text: "The Commercial Women's Sport Initiative aims to improve economic security and prosperity for women through women's professional sport by: shifting mindsets on the economic value of women's professional sport; increasing motivation to invest in this space; and increasing capacity to embed intersectional gender equity in the development of women's professional sport." The phrase "increasing capacity to embed intersectional gender equity in the development of women's professional sport" is highlighted in yellow. A second paragraph states: "To accomplish these objectives, Canadian Women & Sport is working with Canadian Tire Corporation, Boston Consulting Group, Research and Consulting Firm, our Advisory Group, and a network of collaborators to deliver a two-year advocacy initiative." Below this, a field labeled "Organization:" lists "Women and Gender Equality Canada," and a field labeled "Expected Results:" states: "Women and stakeholders have access to supports to address issues relating to equality between women and men," with the phrase "address issues relating to equality between women and men" highlighted in yellow.

Proactive disclosure of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) grant for $325K to Canadian Women and Sport, in part to “embed intersectional gender equity” in women’s sports.
Source: https://search.open.canada.ca/grants/?sort=score+desc&search_text=NA220088&page=1

EDITOR’S AFTERWORD

Anyone who has been engaged for any length of time in the ideological war against biological sex is aware of the danger and sacrifice made by any girl or woman who dares stand up for her right to train and compete in her sport, exclusively with members of her own biological class.

A photograph taken from behind a young girl (Frances Staudt) with braided red hair, wearing a navy blue baseball cap and a grey T-shirt printed with "SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS" in pink bold text, with a small logo beneath it. She stands next to a uniformed law enforcement officer seen from behind, wearing a black tactical vest with "PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER" printed in white block letters across the back, a black cap, and a duty belt with visible equipment. They are facing a street where a crowd of protesters holding signs is gathered on the opposite side, near a strip mall with a sign, trees, parked vehicles including a white pickup truck, and a canopy tent. An American flag is visible among the crowd on the right, a sign in the trans pride flag colours on the right. The sky is overcast.
October 4, 2025: In this instantly-iconic visual, 16-year-old Frances Staudt, of Tumwater, Washington, with security, approaches a park where she will speak in spite of an aggressive and intimating counter-protest.
Screen capture from video posted on X by Brandi Kruse.

Increasingly, and thankfully, men and boys are picking up their signs and using their bodies to protect the girls and women who dare go public with their complaints. By now, we have plenty of evidence of the intimidation and injury sustained from progressive-aggressive mobs and antifascists who get their jollies by threatening and harming girls and women.

Cross-border Alliances

Meanwhile, Canadian women are joining forces with their American sisters in opposition to the gender ideologues and political enablers who insist on pitting boys and men against girls and women in their own sports.

In March 2025, April Hutchinson, Canadian powerlifter and advocate for safe spaces and sports for women and girls, appeared in a video titled So Speak.

A screenshot of a paused YouTube video titled "So Speak" from the channel "XX-XY Athletics" (3.42K subscribers), with a "Subscribe" button next to the channel name. The video still, rendered in black and white, shows a muscular blonde woman posing against a plain dark background, flexing both arms in a bodybuilder-style double-bicep pose. She wears a black baseball cap with "WOMAN" embroidered on the front in white capital letters (with a small trademark-style symbol after it), a thin necklace, and a form-fitting one-piece garment. Her expression is serious and direct, looking at the camera. The video progress bar shows a playback time of 0:27 out of a total duration of 2:44, with standard YouTube player controls (play, volume, closed captions, settings, theater mode, fullscreen) visible along the bottom of the video frame.
Source: https://youtu.be/D_ojCn9oSMQ

Produced by XX-XY Athletics, So Speak, was made in response to a remarkably tone deaf Superbowl ad by Nike, So Win. In this confusing communiqué, presumably about the double standards that challenge the female class overall, Nike informs girls and women that it’s really tough out there and they are just going to have to work harder if they are ever to succeed in competition.

The part of the ad addressing the challenge of females having to compete against males in their own sport category was seemingly left on the cutting room floor.

Nike’s ad won first place for infuriating the women athletes who have expended valuable energy in the fight to save their sports from intruding and abusive men, rather than to just play the damn sports.

In So Speak (cleverly mimicking the black ad white production style of the Nike ad) several female athletes, including Hutchinson, reveal how they have been harassed and silenced for speaking up about the injustices and dangers of males in their sports — a reality that Nike failed to consider when deciding what message to broadcast to the 127.7 million viewers who tuned into the Superbowl.

Just days before the egregious Superbowl ad was aired, President Trump had signed an executive order that women and girl athletes had been hoping for. The Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports order prohibits transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

Blowing the Whistle on Canadian Women & Sport- Trump signs the No Men in Women's Sports Executive Order
President Donald Trump signs the Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports Executive Order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Feb. 5, 2025. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Welcomed and celebrated by female athletes and women’s rights advocates north and south of the Canada/US border, the order unsurprisingly sparked outrage from mainstream media and LGBTQ organizations, and resistance from a number of states that prefer to maintain the status quo of allowing males to scoop up prizes, scholarships, and sponsorships previously reserved for women and girls.

Look, Ma, No Shoes! Dylan Mulvaney’s “paid partnership” ad for Nike Women. Can it get any worse?

Presently, the US Department of Justice and the Education Department are pursuing enforcement actions and administrative measures against several states and institutions for failing to abide by the executive order, including California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Little vs. Hecox and the Hilton-ICFS Amicus Brief

Among the trans-significant cases on the on the docket of the US Supreme Court is Little v. Hecox.

At issue in Little vs. Hecox is whether state laws restricting participation in girls’ and women’s sports to athletes who were born female violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court will look at whether states can make blanket rules that exclude transgender athletes, and how that balances with their individual rights.

As part of this process, outside groups can submit amicus briefs to provide extra perspective to the justices. One such brief was prepared and submitted by Dr. Emma Hilton and the International Consortium on Female Sport, offering research and arguments about fairness and inclusion in sports, and to help the Court understand broader social and policy implications.

A photograph of the title/cover page of a legal brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, printed on textured paper with a vignette shading effect around the edges. The text reads: "Nos. 24-38, 24-43" at the top, followed by "IN THE" and "Supreme Court of the United States" in large gothic-style lettering. Below is the case caption: "Bradley Little, Governor of Idaho, et al., Petitioners, v. Lindsay Hecox, et al., Respondents." followed by a second consolidated case: "West Virginia, et al., Petitioners, v. B.P.J., by Her Next Friend and Mother, Heather Jackson, Respondents." Below that: "On Writs of Certiorari to the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Fourth Circuits." The final section, in bold capital letters, reads: "BRIEF OF EMMA HILTON PhD AND THE INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON FEMALE SPORT AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONER EXPLAINING THE IMPORTANCE OF SEX-VERIFICATION-SCREENING TO PROTECT EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN WOMEN'S SPORT."
Title page of the Dr. Emma Hilton/ICFS amicus brief submitted to the US Supreme Court for the Little vs. Hecox case.

Specifically, the brief discusses the importance of sex-verification screening in protecting equal opportunities in women’s sports, particularly in the context of transgender athletes. It argues that, contrary to to the complaints of transgender-identifying male athletes, modern scientific methods of sex screening (such as the cheek swab test to detect the presence of the SRY gene) “are non-intrusive, highly sensitive, and can be inexpensively and discreetly applied to easily verify the eligibility of 99.9% of women to compete in women’s sports.”

A photograph of page 3 of the same legal brief, also on textured paper with vignette shading. The page number "3" appears at the top, followed by the heading "SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT." The body text reads: "Both courts below in Little, et al. v. Hecox, et al. misunderstood sex-verification-screening and erred in condemning it as a tool for protecting equal opportunities in women's scholastic sport. In fact, modern scientific methods of sex-screening are non-intrusive, highly sensitive, and can be inexpensively and discreetly applied to easily verify the eligibility of 99.9% of women to compete in women's sports. Only in exceedingly rare instances in which an SRY gene is detected will it be necessary to progress to standard medical workflows to assess whether a rare genetic condition is present that negates male physical development even where the SRY gene is present. In these rare instances resorting to standard medical diagnosis can determine whether male physiological development is present in order to permit individuals who have not experienced that development to compete in women's sports. This case presents an excellent opportunity for the Court to recognize that sex-verification-screening is a reasonable tool for assessing the absence of male developmental pathways to confirm eligibility to compete in women's sport and make clear that Title IX requires the implementation of reasonable practices to protect women's equal opportunities in scholastic sports." Two passages are highlighted in yellow/orange: "modern scientific methods of sex-screening are non-intrusive, highly sensitive, and can be inexpensively and discreetly applied" and "recognize that sex-verification-screening is a reasonable tool for assessing the absence of male developmental pathways to confirm eligibility to compete in women's sport."
Summary of Argument in the Dr. Emma Hilton/ICFS amicus brief submitted to the US Supreme Court for the Little vs. Hecox case.

The Canadian Connection

Dr. Linda Blade is an elite sport performance coach from Edmonton. She is former president of Athletics Alberta, co-author of Unsporting: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport, and board member and spokeswoman for Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (caWsbar). In January 2023, Coach Blade, along with women representatives of nine countries, founded the ICFS to “serve as the key international lobby group to advocate for the preservation of the female sports category.”

coach blade icfs Image shows a drawing of coach linda blade holding up a globe. A banner runs behind her saying "doing the heavy lifting to bring fairness to women's sport"

Totally pumped with the news that the ICFS submission was filed with the Supreme Court, Coach Blade provided this comment to Gender Dissent:

“I am proud of the successful filing of this Amicus Brief, particularly since the creation of the ICFS began as a caWsbar initiative.
A ruling by the US Supreme Court on measures to ensure safety and fairness for female athletes could be a real wake-up call, given Canada’s typical disregard for sex-based rights of women and girls in sports.
We can only hope that a sensible decision at the level of the US Supreme Court will inspire Canadian sports authorities to recognize that the same policy updates for female athlete protections are also necessary in Canada.”

— Coach Linda Blade

Wakey, wakey, Canadian Women and Sport. It’s time to put females back into the game.

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