AG Morrisey, Lainey Armistead give major update on fight to defend West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act

CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey was joined by Lainey Armistead, a former team captain for the West Virginia State University women’s soccer team, to follow up on the protection of the integrity of women’s sports at a press conference on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Charleston, West Virginia.

The Save Women’s Sports Act , which is under Title IX, states that biological males who transition should not be allowed to play in women’s sports. This is stated to be to defend women, help them build confidence and assurance, and to give them wellbeing and fairness in women’s sports.

Lainey Armistead, the keynote speaker of the event, explained her stance and why this issue is important to women athletes.

“There is a real human cost to the claim that men can be women. We can’t stand by and watch as the government pushes an ideology that turns back the clock on 50 years of progress for women,” said Armistead.

“Back in April, the Fourth Circuit handed down a 2-1 ruling that reversed an earlier decision upholding the West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act. I promised back then that I would keep fighting for the safety, wellbeing and fairness in women’s sports, and now I’m keeping that promise,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “West Virginia’s law protects fairness and safety for girls and women in sports. It’s really that simple.”

“In just the last three years, the one male athlete who has been allowed to compete against girls in West Virginia has already displaced nearly 300 girls, and that’s just one athlete. That’s wrong. And it is preventable by good laws, like West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act. Good laws that protect women and girls like me, so I never had to experience the indignity of competing against a biological male, who I never stood a chance against. So, I never had to change in front of a male, but the ACLU wants to remove that law and put young women and girls at risk in the state of West Virginia. Women and girls should know that their privacy and dignity are protected when they enter their locker rooms, restrooms, and hotel rooms. They deserve the fair playing field and respect for privacy that I experienced as a female athlete. Every girl deserves that respect,” concluded Armistead.

The Attorney General is fighting this issue and will be going to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn the decision from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals with the panel against this issue, ruling 2-1 back in April.

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