Nancy Hogshead launches petition for WNBA to define ‘woman’

Three-time Olympic gold medalist and civil rights attorney Nancy Hogshead has launched a petition calling on the WNBA to formally define the term ‘woman’ within its official league rules. The petition, which has garnered over 21,000 signatures, seeks to establish clear eligibility standards to ensure a level playing field for female athletes.

Hogshead’s initiative follows a letter sent to the league by several Republican members of Congress, led by Representative Marlin Stutzman. While the WNBA’s current rules state that only women are permitted to play, the league has not provided a formal definition of the term.

The petition has received support from various public figures, including tennis legend Martina Navratilova, Lara Trump, and former professional athletes Charles Barkley and Enes Kanter Freedom. Hogshead emphasized the importance of biological safeguards, noting her own experience with sex verification during her competitive swimming career.