Washington Post op-ed: Public support was missing amid ‘transgender’ sports campaign

A Washington Post opinion column published July 5 argues that the campaign to allow biological males identifying as "transgender" to compete in women's sports was "doomed" after advocates mistook support from influential institutions for broader public support.

In the piece titled "Why the transgender sports campaign was doomed," columnist Megan McArdle reflected on the movement's earlier legal “victories" and growing acceptance within major institutions, arguing they gave advocacy groups confidence that broader legal recognition of "transgender" rights would follow.

That "hope was fanned by establishment institutions," McArdle wrote, but advocates skipped persuasion, which she described as the "critical step in building consensus."

McArdle also questioned arguments that some biological males identifying as "transgender" should be permitted to compete in women's sports. She argued that if athletic ability became the deciding factor, it was unclear where the line would be drawn, asking whether "any sufficiently unathletic male" would then qualify to compete on a women's team. 

"Advocates for the ‘trans rights’ side,” McArdle wrote, “had no good answer.”

McArdle said that approach ultimately left the movement vulnerable in the courts. She argued the U.S. Supreme Court's recent rulings upholding state laws restricting biological males identifying as "transgender" from competing in women's school sports were largely expected after the court's 2025 decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

"It is more surprising that these cases were brought at all,” she remarked.

McArdle concluded by broadening the lesson beyond the "transgender" sports debate, arguing that political movements often falter when they seek quick victories rather than taking the slower path of building lasting public support.