Chelsea Mitchell was the "fastest girl in Connecticut." So why has she lost four women's state championship titles, two all-New England awards, and numerous other races? And why is USA Today determined to make sure no one understands the truth about the biologically male athletes taking Chelsea's spot on the podium?
Is it perhaps because Chelsea's experience reflects negatively on the LGBTQ agenda?
Recently, Chelsea authored an opinion editorial, published in USA Today, that shared about her experience competing for the high school girls' state championship in the 55-meter indoor race, all the while knowing she was likely to lose.
She wrote, "I should be feeling confident. I should know that I have a strong shot at winning. Instead, all I can think about is how all my training, everything I've done to maximize my performance, might not be enough, simply because there's a runner on the line with an enormous physical advantage: a male body."
Chelsea is one of many female athletes who have seen their athletic opportunities stripped away because biological men are competing as women based on their subjectively-determined "gender identity." In Connecticut, where Chelsea lives, biological men have taken 15 women's state track championship titles in the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons alone. They've also deprived girls of more than 85 opportunities to participate in high-level competitions supposedly reserved for female track athletes.
Chelsea wrote the op-ed to shed light on this travesty, not only because of how she has been disadvantaged, but because she cares deeply about the next generation of female athletes. It seems USA Today doesn't share her concern.
After publishing Chelsea's column, editors removed any reference to "male" athletes and added a note apologizing for the "hurtful language." Chelsea's observation about the "male body" next to her on the track was removed, as was every other accurate statement about the biology of her competitors.
Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents Chelsea and other female athletes in their lawsuit against Connecticut, republished the op-ed in its entirety on their website. ADF attorney Christiana Holcomb had this to say: "USA Today violated its principles to appease the mob. This blatant censorship violates the trust we place in media to be honest brokers of public debate. Chelsea's experience and viewpoint matters. That's why we're posting her original piece."
Allowing men to compete as women hurts women. If the so-called progressive institutions of our society truly support equal opportunities for women, they should be responding with outrage and change, not apologies and denials.
USA Today should be ashamed. Contact them at 1-800-872-0001 and remind them that women and girls matter.
