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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., came under fire on social media for a post celebrating “Transgender Awareness Week.”
Many of the criticisms were leveled by activists fighting for the protection of women’s sports from biological male transgender athletes.
The figures who will speak are former American gymnast and co-founder of XX-XY Athletics, Jennifer Sey, and former UPenn women’s swimmer and conservative influencer Paula Scanlan.
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Ocasio-Cortez came under immense criticism for advocating on behalf of trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports in 2024 and early 2025. The congresswoman then sparked a viral feud with conservative activist Riley Gaines in late October.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during a rally in New York City on May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
In a series of posts by
In January, Ocasio-Cortez was mocked for a hysterical rant on the House floor about protecting Women and girls in sports Act. In a two-minute viral rant, he included both false and unsubstantiated claims. His speech ended with an inexplicable claim that “the CEOs love this bill” regarding the California wildfires.
Ocasio-Cortez opened her argument by referencing Republicans’ history of voting against the “Violence Against Women Act” and an apparently false statement in reference to her stance on abortion rights.
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Ocasio-Cortez was also one of many Democrats who pushed unsubstantiated claims that the bill would subject girls to sexual predators.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks to the media outside the Thomas P. O’Neil Jr. House Office Building on February 28, 2024, in Washington, DC (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the Congressional Integrity Project)
“And why? To open up gender testing, and yes, genitalia, to girls in this country, in the name of attacking trans girls!” Ocasio-Cortez continued.
Nowhere in the bill does it state that girls or women would be subject to a genital examination in order to participate in sports. However, Ocasio-Cortez, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats who oppose it, have cited that possibility as their main argument for opposing the law.
The argument sparked a backlash from voters in both parties, including prominent Rutgers law professor Gary Francione, who has been a lifelong Democrat since the 1970s. Francione previously told Pak Gazette Digital that he disengaged from the party in response to Ocasio-Cortez, and suggested other Democrats would follow suit.
“I can say with confidence from the people I know who are Democrats that I’ve talked to, that the vast majority of them are very unhappy with all of this and feel like the party has lost its way,” Francione said. “I know a couple who said they were going to [unregister]”.
At the beginning of January, a New York Times/Ipsos poll found that the vast majority of Americans, including most Democrats, do not believe transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said that biological men who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or Democratic-leaning, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
