Celebrity ad promoting males in girls' sports draws ire of champion gymnast: 'Bodies play sports, not identities'

A former champion gymnast has condemned an ad campaign featuring actress Naomi Watts, U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe and other celebrities advocating for males to be allowed to participate in girls' sports, as the U.S. Supreme Court considers two cases related to laws prohibiting male trans-identified athletes from competing with females.

The 30-second advertisement sponsored by the progressive civil rights advocacy organization American Civil Liberties Union is part of its “More Than a Game” campaign and also features trans-identifying actress Ellen Page — who goes by the name Elliot Page — actor Benito Skinner, fashion designer Willy Chavarria and former basketball player Sue Bird. 

Throughout the advertisement, the celebrities made statements about how “supporting trans youth isn’t just about sports,” claiming that it’s about “freedom,” both “on and off the field.” 

Jennifer Sey, a seven-time member of the United States women's national artistic gymnastics team and the 1986 U.S. Women's All-Around National Champion, referred to identity affirmation in sports as “nonsense” in response to the ad. 

In a Friday X post, Sey, the founder of the XX-XY Athletics brand, which advocates for fairness in women’s sports, said that sports are not about “being who you are." 

“Sports are about competing. All this nonsense about identity affirmation in sports? What? It has nothing to do with anything,” the XX-XY founder stated. “Bodies play sports, not identities. I don't care what your identity is when you're on the field. (Or off, frankly).” 

Sey maintains that laws do not prevent boys who identify as female from playing sports, but they must compete on teams that match their sex. 

“Oh, and another thing, this whole ‘aw shucks we just wanna play’ — no. Sports are about competing. About getting better. About winning. It's not about inclusion, and everybody gets a trophy,” the retired athlete declared. “And Megan Rapinoe knows that. You're gonna tell me an Olympic and World Cup soccer player isn't competitive? Please.” 

She questioned the advertisement's claim of “freedom on and off the field,” stating, “There is no freedom in sports.” 

“There are rules. And you play by them. And women's sports are for women only,” Sey wrote. “Take your identity affirmation elsewhere and leave us alone.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment. 

One day after the release of the ACLU’s campaign video, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the cases of Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. BPJ — cases that challenge state bans on trans-identified male athletes competing in women’s sports in Idaho and West Virginia. 

Women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines spoke during a rally outside the Supreme Court, urging the justices to rule in favor of “common sense and of truth.” 

“Even with a favorable ruling, I will tell you, it’s not enough,” she warned. “Understand that the cases that are being heard are not to decide if states must protect us as women, if we must have rights to equal opportunity, to privacy and to safety. That’s not what it is. It’s if states even can. It’s the bare minimum that we’re fighting for,” Gaines declared. 

If the Supreme Court rules against the state laws in Idaho and West Virginia, then the decision could impact the more than two dozen other states that have passed similar laws. 

In addition to Idaho and West Virginia, other states have also passed laws or regulations prohibiting trans-identified male athletes from competing on women’s sports teams, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.