On Saturday morning, a large crowd gathered outside the state house in Maine to voice their support for protecting women’s sports. The protest comes in response to recent political disputes over policies regarding transgender athletes in female sports divisions.
“I hope to keep women’s sports for women,” said Julia Deitrick, a Maine high school student. “I would like for the MPA and the governor to see that there is this big push for keeping our state the way it is and following the executive order.”
Nicholas Blanchard, a Trump supporter, emphasized the dedication female athletes put into their sports. “Young women that train their entire lives and work hard…you don’t just wake up and become a state champ. It takes a lot of effort, it takes a lot of time,” he said.
State Representative Katrina Smith also addressed the crowd, criticizing Governor Janet Mills for opposing President Trump on the issue. “When Governor Mills decided to argue with the president over this subject, I think it really brought people to come out and say no, that’s not you speaking for us, we are going to start speaking for ourselves,” Smith said.
The rally concluded with demonstrators marching down the street, calling for change and demanding that women’s sports remain exclusive to biological females.
Meanwhile, in Portland, a separate group gathered in Monument Square on Saturday afternoon to protest against President Trump.
Last month, the Maine House of Representatives voted 75-70 along party lines to censure Republican Representative Laurel Libby after she spoke out against a transgender athlete competing in a girls’ high school pole vault event. The censure bars Libby from speaking on the House floor or casting votes until she issues an apology—something she has refused to do, stating she will not back down from defending fairness in women’s sports.
