In 2019, the University of Montana allowed a runner named June Eastwood, a biological male who had adopted a female identity, to compete against women. Among Eastwood's competitors were two young women attending Idaho State University, Madison Kenyon and Mary Kate Marshall, who were unjustly defeated by Eastwood on multiple occasions.

The following year, the Idaho Legislature passed HB 500, making Idaho the first state in the nation to protect women and girls from losing to men in their own sports.

The years since have brought both setbacks and breakthroughs. Gender identity activists at the ACLU immediately sued Idaho to block the law, and so far, the courts have agreed. Meanwhile, cases like UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas — who became the first man to win an NCAA women's swimming title — kept the national debate intensifying.

By the 2024 election, President Trump made this issue a centerpiece of his campaign, exposing the Democratic Party's radical stance on gender identity issues. His victory paved the way for this February's

© The Hill