Major Win! Board of Health Votes to Protect Girls’ Sports!
“I swam next to him, twice a day, every day...knowing no amount of training, dedication, or grit could ever change my biology as a female athlete and create a fair competition.”
“… My teammates got physically sick, and we all had trouble eating, sleeping and concentrating, as our safety and privacy were ignored and we were told to stay quiet about it…we were threatened and harassed by our peers.”
These were moving public statements by Carter Satterfield, a senior at Roanoke College and member of the school's all-female swim team. Two years ago, she and her teammates had to endure physical and mental hardships when a biological male attempted to compete on her all-female swim team. (Click the image below to hear her testimony.)
This is just one of the powerful testimonies shared before the Virginia Board of Health today—and those voices were heard.
This morning the Virginia Board of Health voted UNANIMOUSLY (14-0) to approve a petition to protect female athletes in both intimate spaces and in athletic competitions.
How it Began: In April, a citizen’s petition was submitted by current and former collegiate swimmers, Carter Satterfield and Lily Mullens from Roanoke College, and Reka Gyorgy from Virginia Tech, requesting the Board to promulgate regulations that prevent biological males from participating on female-only athletic teams and competitions in Virginia, as well as entering intimate spaces designated for females only.
The vote today is a major win that sets a strong precedent as the proposed regulations move forward—not to mention it is reassuring when government bodies actually pursue common sense policies!
Dr. Todd Gathje, VP of Government Relations for TFF, also testified and reiterated that the law permits the Board to put forward regulations to protect, improve, and preserve the overall public health, which can absolutely include provisions to protect the health (physical and mental), safety and well-being of female student athletes.
Recent polls show that people overwhelming agree that biological males should not compete in female-only athletics:
New York Times/Ipsos poll (2025) – 79% of Americans
Napolitan News Service poll (2025) – 72% of Americans
Mason Dixon poll (2021/22) – nearly 80% of Americans
What’s Next: Now that the petition has been approved, the Board will move forward with the regulatory process, including publicizing their official notice of regulatory intent and more public comment opportunities.
Thank you to everyone who submitted public comments and let your voice be heard!
