This week, a 16-year-old female athlete spoke out about her experience being kicked off a swim team and banned from her YMCA after she voiced her concerns about sharing a changing space with biological male who identify as “transgender.”
The teenager, Abbigail Wheeler, shared her story at a press conference with the Illinois Freedom Caucus on Thursday.
“On April 27, while attending swim practice at the YMCA, I went into the women’s locker room to use the restroom. As I was headed to the stalls, I witnessed a man standing next to two other adults who were sitting on the changing benches,” she said. She clarified that she did not see the man naked, but did see him changing.
“After seeing the man in the women’s locker room, I was scared and upset. I decided to leave immediately,” she said, and went to tell her coach.
“He [the coach] responded that he was aware of it, and there was nothing he could do,” she explained.
On May 10, Wheeler met up with her coach and a staff member of the YMCA to ask how long biological men had been allowed to change in the women’s facilities.
“I was laughed at, and told ‘transgenders have been around a long time.’ I replied, ‘that is not what I asked,’ and restated the questions to them,” she said, adding that they told her she could use the “family changing areas, or not use the facilities at all.”
After Wheeler was told this, she and a teammate made signs “to let people know that biological men were changing in the women’s locker room.”
“Parents and families were completely unaware,” she explained. The next day, the girls were told that the signs were considered “hate speech.” When Wheeler told her coach that she took part in creating the signs, she was dismissed from the team and booted out of the YMCA.
16-year-old Abbigail Wheeler was kicked off her swim team and banned from the YMCA in Springfield, IL for objecting to changing with biological men in the locker room
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 13, 2023
A HUGE crowd showed up to the @ILFreedomCaucus' press conference with Abbigail outside the YMCA where it… pic.twitter.com/3doSmWvNzD
WATCH: 16-year-old Abbigail Wheeler tells the story of getting kicked off her swim team and banned from the Springfield, IL YMCA for opposing being forced to change with biological men:
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 13, 2023
"I saw something that was obviously wrong and told my coach, someone who I am supposed to… pic.twitter.com/ifejGwfgit
“I was uncomfortable with biological men being allowed to undress as the same space as me and my underage teammates. Not only were my feelings discredited but I was removed from my swim team,” she said.
“I hope sharing my story will bring awareness to what is happening in women’s changing spaces. We must work to create a space for women and young girls to change where they feel safe,” Abbigail told Townhall of her experience.
Kaitlyn Wheeler, Abbigail’s older sister, is a former NCAA swimmer. She competed with Riley Gaines on the women’s swim team at the University of Kentucky. As Townhall previously covered, the women were forced to share a locker room with Will “Lia” Thomas last year.
“It’s been infuriating to hear that after going through the experience I went through with Lia Thomas, now my little sister who is sixteen years old is having to go through the same thing, and when she stands up for what is right, she is forced out of her swim team and banned from the YMCA, of all places,” Kaitlynn Wheeler said in a statement about her sister’s experience.
“It is crazy to me that we are having this conversation. The safety and security of females in women-only spaces should be protected — otherwise it is false advertising to have sex-specific spaces and opportunities. Forcing any woman — especially minor girls — to share a locker room and undress before a male is irresponsible and inappropriate and undermines a woman’s human rights, respect, and dignity,” she added.
In a statement shared exclusively with Townhall, Kaitlynn Wheeler said: “Title IX was passed for a reason, but here we are fighting for basic women’s rights again. They want us to stay silent and conform. Enough is enough. It’s time to take a stand, and fight for our fundamental rights and freedoms as women.”
Paula Scanlan, a former teammate of Thomas, also spoke at the rally. Townhall previously covered how Scanlan told conservative commentator Matt Walsh about her experience sharing a locker room with Thomas, and how the University of Pennsylvania tried to scare the swimmers into being silent about the issues surrounding a biological male competing on the women’s team.
"As a former YMCA swimmer, I was appalled to hear about the actions of the Springfield YMCA. I stand behind the Wheelers and I urge the YMCA to reconsider their policies that allow adult males to enter spaces where young girls are changing,” Scanlan told Townhall.
A poll conducted by Gallup and released last month found that a growing number of Americans are opposing transgender athletes competing in sports that align with their “gender identity” instead of their biological sex.
🚨Public opinion is shifting:
— Nicki Neily (@nickineily) July 13, 2023
69% of Americans now believe transgender athletes should only play on sports teams that match their sex — up 7% in the last two years! https://t.co/63CxEB1YIf pic.twitter.com/E51x2dW8bh
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