Attorney General James Uthmeier Fights for Florida’s Female Athletes; Demands U.S. Masters Swimming Correct Unlawful Policy

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier is fighting for Florida women in sports and demanding U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) organization rescind a harmful policy allowing males to compete in female competitions. 

“We are calling on U.S. Masters Swimming, a Florida-based nonprofit, to immediately cease allowing any men to compete against women,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “We will always fight to protect women and girls from being subjected to men trying to compete in female sports—it’s our moral obligation to do so.”

“There is a single question at stake here—it is 'do women and girls deserve access to fair sports?' and the answer is a yes or no,” said Kim Jones, Co-Founder, Independent Council on Women's Sports. “The State of Florida and Attorney General Uthmeier believes that answer is yes and, unequivocally, so do we. It is illegal for men to be competing with women, and it has been for over 50 years.”

“Thank you Attorney General James Uthmeier for your commitment to protecting women's sports,” said Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas. “There will never be room for men in women's sports or spaces, and in Florida, thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, we have enshrined that in law. While other states will continue to wage a war on women, Florida will continue to fight for our female athletes.”

In a letter to USMS, Attorney General Uthmeier outlines that the organization’s updated policy is still in violation of state law. The policy fails to prevent men from competing against women and fails to clearly define sex in biological terms. Florida law has defined “sex” in unambiguous biological terms, and if USMS aims to hold women’s swimming competitions in the state, they are required to adhere to the state’s definition. 

Under Florida law, the interim policy unlawfully discriminates against women based on their sex and violated their right to a fair and protected competition.

To view a copy of the full letter, click here.

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