Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports | 2.8.25

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary: "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" (February 8, 2025)

Introduction

In the February 8, 2025 episode of Morning Wire, hosted by John Bickley and co-host Georgia Howe, the discussion centers around the newly signed executive order by former President Donald Trump, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports." The episode delves into the implications of this order, public reactions, and the ongoing efforts by advocacy groups to protect women's and girls' athletic spaces. The primary guest is Jennifer Tsay, founder of XXXY Athletics, who provides insightful perspectives on the movement's progress and future directions.

Executive Order Overview

The episode opens with a brief overview of President Donald Trump's executive order, signed on February 5, 2025, which bans men from competing in women's sports. Hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe highlight that this move fulfills a significant campaign promise and aligns with the growing public support for safeguarding women's and girls' athletic opportunities.

Interview with Jennifer Tsay

Jennifer Tsay, the founder of XXXY Athletics, is introduced as a pivotal figure in the movement to ensure fairness in women's sports. She recounts her experience attending the signing of the executive order:

"We were so thrilled. We've been pushing for this for many, many years, for basic common sense, logic, fairness for women and girls. So to have the opportunity to witness the signing of the EO is thrilling and we're all super excited." ([00:48])

Tsay emphasizes that while the executive order marks a significant victory, the battle is far from over. She discusses the limitations of the order, noting that it primarily affects federally funded institutions and does not extend to organizations like the International Olympic Committee or private races such as the Boston Marathon.

"This landscape is incredibly fractured. And my sort of intention in starting this brand ten months ago, XXXY athletics, was to change the culture and give people the confidence that it's appropriate to stand up and say, we're not going to take this anymore." ([02:28])

Public Reaction and Impact

The conversation shifts to public reactions following the executive order and the broader cultural implications. Tsay mentions the release of a short film and viral commercials, including one targeting Nike, which have significantly amplified their message.

"We've had over 40,000 people share the ad and endorse it and say that it brought them the tears. And they're so glad to see this. That is the kind of views you want." ([04:00])

Tsay attributes the movement's momentum to widespread public support and a collective desire to reject what she terms "woke capitalism" and corporate hypocrisy. This support has translated into tangible actions, such as increased brand loyalty and consumer engagement for organizations aligned with their cause.

Branding and Marketing Efforts

The hosts and Tsay discuss the strategic timing of their advertising campaigns, particularly leveraging high-visibility events like the Super Bowl to maximize reach.

"We launched it before the super bowl purposely, because, as you point out, people are almost paying more attention to the ads at this time than the matchup." ([03:51])

Tsay highlights the success of their "Real Girls Rock" ad, which celebrates female athletes' dedication while addressing the harassment they face for advocating the integrity of women's sports. The ad's virality, amplified by endorsements from influential figures like J.K. Rowling, underscores the effective melding of marketing prowess and advocacy.

Critique of Nike and Corporate Hypocrisy

A significant portion of the discussion critiques major corporations, particularly Nike, for their perceived hypocrisy in supporting women's causes superficially while failing to uphold genuine support.

"They have a long history of profiting off of pretending to support women and doing no such thing... they're capitalists at heart. Right. They work in big businesses. And people are tired of that hypocrisy." ([04:00])

Tsay elaborates on specific instances where Nike has fallen short, such as the mistreatment of endorsers like Allyson Felix and Mary Kane. She remains skeptical about Nike's willingness to change, suggesting that any positive shifts would be driven by external pressures rather than intrinsic values.

"I don't trust any decision they would make. Every decision they make is because of pressure, not because of any desire to do the right thing." ([08:26])

Future Directions and Cultural Shift

Tsay expresses optimism about the future, believing that the executive order has opened doors for broader cultural changes. She underscores the importance of continued activism and public support to influence other governing bodies and private organizations to adopt fair practices in women's sports.

"Trump has passed us the baton and we need to take it and run through the next door and the next door and the next door, because this is not over yet." ([02:28])

The hosts echo this sentiment, recognizing the critical nature of the issue and the ongoing efforts required to secure lasting change.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reaffirmation of the movement's goals and gratitude towards supporters who champion fairness in women's athletics. Jennifer Tsay's insights provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and triumphs faced by advocacy groups in the wake of significant political actions like the executive order.

"An absolutely critical issue here that your team and ours here at the Daily Wire has been very focused on highlighting. And now we're seeing some real change here." ([10:25])

Morning Wire successfully captures the complexities surrounding the executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," offering listeners a nuanced perspective on the interplay between politics, culture, and advocacy in the realm of sports.

Transcript

[A]

Donald Trump signed an executive order on.

[B]

Wednesday banning men from competing in women's sports.

[A]

The move fulfills a major Trump campaign.

[B]

Promise and comes as a growing percentage of Americans support the idea of protecting women's and girls spaces and activities. In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Tsay, the founder of XXXY Athletics, about the impact of Wednesday's monumental executive order and where the movement goes from here. I'm Daily Wire editor in chief John Bick with Georgia Howe. It's Saturday, February 8th, and this is a weekend edition of Morning Wire. Joining us now is founder of XXXY Athletics, Jennifer. Say, Jennifer, first of all, thank you so much for joining us again.

[A]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

So look, you were at Trump's signing of the executive order. It's called keeping men out of Women's sports. You were there because your team has really shaken things up on this issue. Have also gotten a lot of attention. This week in particular, you released a short film. You've had some commercials that have really gone viral, including one specifically calling out Nike. So we wanted to talk to you about all of this. First, what have you seen so far in terms of reaction to Trump's executive order?

[A]

Well, I mean, the reaction has been quite thrilling. I was lucky to be in the room yesterday, got a prime spot right behind him. In fact, he handed me his papers after he was done reciting the list of people to thank. I mean, everyone in the room, we're so thrilled. We've been pushing for this for many, many years, for basic common sense, logic, fairness for women and girls. So to have the opportunity to witness the signing of the EO is thrilling and we're all super excited. We also know we still have work to do. I've talked with Riley about this. I've talked with lawyers who are experts on Title ix. He said it in the room yesterday. He said this impacts federally funded institutions and sports that take place. Federally funded institutions, so K through 12 schools, universities, but twice as many kids participate in what is called the Olympic movement, which is governed by the US Olympic Committee. That doesn't mean you're an Olympic level. You know, I was an elite gymnast as a young person. I started competing at six. I was not, you know, competing at the highest level, but the competitions I was in were governed by the US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics. That is not impacted and they'd not made a move yet.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then you have the International Olympic Committee, which is clearly outside of the auspices of the executive order. And beyond that, you have one more thing. You have all these private Races, you know, like the Boston Marathon, which is has its own board, it's privately run, it's all private company funded. They just qualified a man in the women's division. They can continue to do whatever they want. And so this landscape is incredibly fractured. And my sort of intention in starting this brand ten months ago, XXXY athletics, was to change the culture and give people the confidence that it appropriate to stand up and say, we're not going to take this anymore. And I think when the people do that, all of these other governing bodies and races, et cetera, are going to have to change their tune because the people will demand it. And I just feel like what the EO did was it knocked the door down for us to do that. And Trump has passed us the baton and we need to take it and run through the next door and the next door and the next door, because this is not over yet.

[B]

You know, our listeners, they might remember our interview with you over the summer after you launched your new brand. And we've been watching it with interest. This is something that aligns with the Daily Wire's focus on the transgender agenda. Our parent company's launch of Jeremy's razors back in 2022 and then lady Ballers the next year was really a part of that focus. The public messaging part of this is very interesting and it's very relevant given that we're coming up on the Super Bowl. Many people watch the super bowl more for the ads than the actual games these days.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But regarding the messaging potential with brands like yours and Jeremy's Razors, what have you seen in terms of response to your messaging in the public sphere?

[A]

Well, you know, we just launched a new ad on Sunday. It's four days now we launch it. It's called Real Girls Rock. And it's a celebration of the discipline, dedication and hard work of female athletes. And it highlights the fact that if you are a female athlete that dares to stand up for the integrity of women's sports, on top of all that crazy training and work, you will be faced with threats and bullying and all kinds of horrible harassment. And that ad just taken off, we launched it before the super bowl purposely, because, as you point out, people are almost paying more attention to the ads at this time than the matchup. We also launched it just a couple days ahead of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which was yesterday, the day, you know, the EO got signed. So that ad has just taken off. We were lucky enough to have J.K. rowling herself share the ad on Monday with her 14 million followers, and it's just gone totally viral. I can't really count the number of views we're up to. It was 10 million in under two days, so it's got to be double that now. The response has been incredible. And as a longtime marketer, I was the chief marketing officer for Levi's for eight years and worked there in marketing for 20 plus. I mean, this is the dream. We've paid zero in media and done all of this basically free advertising, just the cost of the ad. And I think as marketers, not to be too sort of like industry specific, we want engaged views, not passive views. And we've had well over 40,000 people share the ad and endorse it and say that it brought them the tears. And they're so glad to see this. I mean, that is the kind of views you want. People who are willing to sit down and share it and endorse it is a real testament to, I think, the strength of the ad and also the strength of the message and that people are really behind this. And, you know, one of the things I've observed with the signing of the EO and everything that's happened is people are leaning in now. They're not going, oh, this is over. They're going, I want to show my support for this movement. I want to show that I'm on the right side of history. So they're not just sharing the ad, they're leaning in and buying the brands. And people are just tired of the, you know, woke capitalism, as I call it, the hypocrisy of these companies, virtue signaling when they don't really mean it, when they're touting these far left policies that they can't possibly actually believe in. I mean, they're capitalists at heart. Right. They work in big businesses. And people are tired of that hypocrisy. And I think they're just glad to see brands like Jeremy's Razors and our brand speaking common sense and truth that appeals to the vast majority of Americans.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. One of the things that's striking about both of those commercials, who's the real victim? Is the question that the left has their answer for. And I think a growing majority of people say, no, no. The true victims are the girls. The true victims are the women. And you guys do a great job of highlighting all the blood, sweat and tears put into this to athletics, only to be undermined by a male in their competition.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, what side do you want to be on when all is said and done. We're going to look back at this time in history as sort of just the most psychotic, deluded, insane period of time where we said things like, not you and I, but other people. The culture was saying, men can be women if they want to, men can get pregnant. I mean, it's so absurd on its face. And one of the messages I've highlighted since the beginning is we're pro, woman and girl. That is compassionate to be for women and girls. There's nothing anti anyone. No one is banned from sports. These males can compete in the men's category, the category to which they were born. No one's being banned from anything. But, you know, the headlines. And even in espn, I think, two days ago, is suggesting, you know, these males competing in women's sports were wrongly assigned male at birth and they're now being banned from sports. So you guys know this better than anyone in the mainstream media. They're not budging on this. So we have a ways to go to change the culture. But I'm glad you said it very well. I think, you know, at the end of the day, do you want to be on the right side of history here? Are you for women and girls or are you for what these deluded men are demanding? I don't understand how we got here, but that's where we are.

[B]

Well, as you guys rightly point out to. Look, Nike, these are just giants in the industry, have controlled the messaging. They've done the most shaping of the culture of anybody. Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you specifically called them out. Do you see any indication that they might relent on this, they might reverse on this issue?

[A]

Well, it's interesting you mentioned that. And we have relentlessly called them out. You know, I find them to be a company that is incredibly hypocritical, especially as it pertains to women. They have a long history of profiting off of pretending to support women and doing no such thing, whether it's their endorsers like Allyson Felix, who they refused to pay when she was pregnant despite what her contract indicated. Mary Kane, who was a young runner in their running program, who was abused to the point of suicidality, as well as their internal female executives. So this is a company that has a long history of treating women with astonishing disregard. And that's what we've been pointing out, you know, up until this point. And we've. We've definitely come at them hard. They've shown no indication of noticing. I will tell you, having operated inside a big corporate entity for a long time, I'M most certain they have noticed and they're pretending not to because it would sort of be beneath them to notice a tiny little company like ours. So they're just pretending they haven't noticed and that'll go away. But yesterday, or Maybe it was two days ago, Bill Ackman, the investor with I think 1.6 million followers on X, he shared our dear Nike ad, which launched last October, and he said he was going to talk to the CEO of Nike about it. So I don't think they can hide anymore. I mean, I'm sure he made good on his promise and did speak with him. I don't know what that could lead to. I will tell you this. I don't trust any decision they would make. Every decision they make is because of pressure, not because of any desire to do the right thing. So they just as easily reverse course if the next president signs another eo. So I don't think they have any principles at all. Now. My gut tells me that's a business that's struggling. They're going to back away from any kind of political or social messaging and just get back to focusing on product, which is fine. You know, that's fine.

[B]

Well, an absolutely critical issue here that your team and ours here at the Daily Wire has been very focused on highlighting. And now we're seeing some real change here. Jennifer, thank you so much for talking with us.

[A]

Thank you guys so much for having me. And thank you for everything you guys do.

[B]

That was Jennifer Se, founder of XXXY Athletics. And this has been a weekend edition of Morning Wire.