Sia LiiLii
👤 PersonPodcast Appearances
Last fall, we learned as a team, we had a... transgender male competing in the Mountain West and NCAA. This came through viral social media videos of this person hitting balls and doing things that was not common in women's volleyball. This was brought to our attention and then we had a couple meetings about it just like talking with each other about what could happen.
Last fall, we learned as a team, we had a... transgender male competing in the Mountain West and NCAA. This came through viral social media videos of this person hitting balls and doing things that was not common in women's volleyball. This was brought to our attention and then we had a couple meetings about it just like talking with each other about what could happen.
Then one day we were preparing for a match against our in-state rival UNLV and our university decided to make a decision for us saying that we are going to participate in this match. And it didn't go over really well for them. We decided that they weren't going to tell us what we were allowed to or what we were going to do. And we took that back and just said, no, we're not doing this.
Then one day we were preparing for a match against our in-state rival UNLV and our university decided to make a decision for us saying that we are going to participate in this match. And it didn't go over really well for them. We decided that they weren't going to tell us what we were allowed to or what we were going to do. And we took that back and just said, no, we're not doing this.
It's not right. It's not fair. men should not have a place in women's sports. And we received backlash, or personally, I received backlash from doing so. Not only from random people on the internet, but from people at my school. There were a couple groups of students who decided to
It's not right. It's not fair. men should not have a place in women's sports. And we received backlash, or personally, I received backlash from doing so. Not only from random people on the internet, but from people at my school. There were a couple groups of students who decided to
Slander my name, I guess I could say, as well as reach out to me on my social media pages, telling me a lot of hateful rhetoric. But ultimately, we didn't plan that game. Instead, we held a rally on the exact day that we were supposed to play against San Jose State, where I, along with eight of my other teammates, spoke about why...
Slander my name, I guess I could say, as well as reach out to me on my social media pages, telling me a lot of hateful rhetoric. But ultimately, we didn't plan that game. Instead, we held a rally on the exact day that we were supposed to play against San Jose State, where I, along with eight of my other teammates, spoke about why...
It's not okay to have men and boys participating in girls and women's sports and that this sanity is over. We're not doing that anymore. And we boycotted that game.
It's not okay to have men and boys participating in girls and women's sports and that this sanity is over. We're not doing that anymore. And we boycotted that game.
That I was doing this in the name of transphobia and bigotry and that I was following an agenda, which was interesting.
That I was doing this in the name of transphobia and bigotry and that I was following an agenda, which was interesting.
Um, honestly, I didn't respond because there's no conversation. How would you respond?
Um, honestly, I didn't respond because there's no conversation. How would you respond?
It sounds like projecting that it's, not any of those things. There's no hate behind any of the actions that I partook in or my teammates. It was the general basis that woman deserves single sex spaces where it's fair, it's safe, and that
It sounds like projecting that it's, not any of those things. There's no hate behind any of the actions that I partook in or my teammates. It was the general basis that woman deserves single sex spaces where it's fair, it's safe, and that
I want in the future, my kids, my little cousins, my nieces to have the opportunity that my teammates and I had of playing on a division one team and competing at a high level without having to worry about safety before stepping on the court or going into a game where there's a boy or a man playing on the other side that could potentially be detrimental to someone.
I want in the future, my kids, my little cousins, my nieces to have the opportunity that my teammates and I had of playing on a division one team and competing at a high level without having to worry about safety before stepping on the court or going into a game where there's a boy or a man playing on the other side that could potentially be detrimental to someone.
Honestly, none of us are doctors. None of us had degrees in any of those type of things. We just knew the general basis of a man is a man, a woman is a woman. And there are biological differences in sport that need to be recognized. Because... Personally, seeing the way that men's volleyball is played and the way that women's volleyball is played, it's very different.
Honestly, none of us are doctors. None of us had degrees in any of those type of things. We just knew the general basis of a man is a man, a woman is a woman. And there are biological differences in sport that need to be recognized. Because... Personally, seeing the way that men's volleyball is played and the way that women's volleyball is played, it's very different.
The net is a foot higher in men's volleyball compared to women's volleyball, and there's a reason for that.
The net is a foot higher in men's volleyball compared to women's volleyball, and there's a reason for that.
Um, so it was kind of a mixed type of thing. I did have some of my classmates come up to me and commend me and tell me that, um, they're there for me. If with everything that was going on with the sites of media, um, during the season and just being a student athlete on top of having all this around me.
Um, so it was kind of a mixed type of thing. I did have some of my classmates come up to me and commend me and tell me that, um, they're there for me. If with everything that was going on with the sites of media, um, during the season and just being a student athlete on top of having all this around me.
Um, and honestly, I chose to disregard any of the ones who were negative because I didn't have time for that.
Um, and honestly, I chose to disregard any of the ones who were negative because I didn't have time for that.
I think it's lunacy that women had to even be brought to that point. I mean, it's lunacy that even me, Riley, all the women ambassadors for IW, that we even have to forfeit games. We have to stop doing what we love, playing the games that we love, because these men are being allowed in our sports. It's lunacy. In high school here in Reno, where I live in Reno, Nevada,
I think it's lunacy that women had to even be brought to that point. I mean, it's lunacy that even me, Riley, all the women ambassadors for IW, that we even have to forfeit games. We have to stop doing what we love, playing the games that we love, because these men are being allowed in our sports. It's lunacy. In high school here in Reno, where I live in Reno, Nevada,
14-year-old girls are exposed to a boy who's playing on a volleyball team here in Reno. They're exposed to him all the time in the locker room. That's not okay. 14-year-old girls seeing a fully undressed little boy or a 14-year-old boy in their locker room every day just because he is identifying as a female. It's, I mean, the war on children, that's exactly how I would put it.
14-year-old girls are exposed to a boy who's playing on a volleyball team here in Reno. They're exposed to him all the time in the locker room. That's not okay. 14-year-old girls seeing a fully undressed little boy or a 14-year-old boy in their locker room every day just because he is identifying as a female. It's, I mean, the war on children, that's exactly how I would put it.
You rocked the house with that one. It's just not okay that we're being asked to give up so many of our rights because of a marginalized group that feels that they need to invade our spaces and that they're being treated as less than when it's nothing more than a mental illness.
You rocked the house with that one. It's just not okay that we're being asked to give up so many of our rights because of a marginalized group that feels that they need to invade our spaces and that they're being treated as less than when it's nothing more than a mental illness.
So the NCAA, after Trump signed the EO, which was beautifully written, bringing back Title IX and reinforcing it, sex-based, the NCAA came out with a policy where... There were a lot of words used like gender identity and assigned at birth, things like that. And honestly, I think it was just something to throw to say that they're making a change. They're changing their policy.
So the NCAA, after Trump signed the EO, which was beautifully written, bringing back Title IX and reinforcing it, sex-based, the NCAA came out with a policy where... There were a lot of words used like gender identity and assigned at birth, things like that. And honestly, I think it was just something to throw to say that they're making a change. They're changing their policy.
They're doing what we wanted. But in reality, if you look into that policy, men are still allowed to be on women's teams, still allowed to go into our locker rooms. still allowed to be a part of the sports. And it was kind of like a slap in the face. Kind of going back a couple weeks, Charlie Baker was... He was testifying in front of the Senate, and...
They're doing what we wanted. But in reality, if you look into that policy, men are still allowed to be on women's teams, still allowed to go into our locker rooms. still allowed to be a part of the sports. And it was kind of like a slap in the face. Kind of going back a couple weeks, Charlie Baker was... He was testifying in front of the Senate, and...
He was saying that if a woman is uncomfortable with the man changing in their locker room, then they could go to another facility or that they had to be provided another place for them to change because they had to adapt based upon a man's feelings of wanting to be in the woman's locker room and things like that.
He was saying that if a woman is uncomfortable with the man changing in their locker room, then they could go to another facility or that they had to be provided another place for them to change because they had to adapt based upon a man's feelings of wanting to be in the woman's locker room and things like that.
So I think it was kind of not like it wasn't really surprising to me that this policy that they threw out wasn't fully in, like didn't fully comply with the EO or Title IX really.
So I think it was kind of not like it wasn't really surprising to me that this policy that they threw out wasn't fully in, like didn't fully comply with the EO or Title IX really.
i'm i definitely agree with that it worries me the direction that we're heading if we do keep if we do allow men and women sports um a lot of the arguments that um we'll get is well there's only a handful of them in women's sports right now what happens down the road when our kids are trying to get into sports and women are erased completely where there's not a real woman division anymore because it's
i'm i definitely agree with that it worries me the direction that we're heading if we do keep if we do allow men and women sports um a lot of the arguments that um we'll get is well there's only a handful of them in women's sports right now what happens down the road when our kids are trying to get into sports and women are erased completely where there's not a real woman division anymore because it's
full of the transgender athletes and there's no woman left. I think we've stopped this now because it's absurd, ridiculous to have women forfeit, give up our opportunities because a person is identifying as a woman and trying to invade our spaces. And yeah, I think going on from here, we need to follow the EO that Trump has beautifully written for all of us and that I personally
full of the transgender athletes and there's no woman left. I think we've stopped this now because it's absurd, ridiculous to have women forfeit, give up our opportunities because a person is identifying as a woman and trying to invade our spaces. And yeah, I think going on from here, we need to follow the EO that Trump has beautifully written for all of us and that I personally
hope and pray that the NCAA comes to their senses. They're being slapped with a lot of legislative, like they're in a lot of lawsuits right now due to the fact that they allowed men and women's sports in the beginning of it all. And I really hope real change comes from all the women who have said, hey, we're not doing this. We're stopping it now. So I'm excited to see what comes in the future.
hope and pray that the NCAA comes to their senses. They're being slapped with a lot of legislative, like they're in a lot of lawsuits right now due to the fact that they allowed men and women's sports in the beginning of it all. And I really hope real change comes from all the women who have said, hey, we're not doing this. We're stopping it now. So I'm excited to see what comes in the future.