Patti Garibay, founder of American Heritage Girls, has voiced support for WNBA player Sophie Cunningham's stance on transgender athletes in women's sports, questioning the purpose of women's leagues if they allow biological males to compete.
Garibay, who established American Heritage Girls in 1993 as an alternative to the Girl Scouts, expressed concerns that traditional safe spaces for girls and women are being compromised. "There's so much confusion around it. What were traditionally safe spaces and places for women are no longer safe spaces and places," Garibay told Fox News Digital. She noted that parents are increasingly inquiring about membership policies regarding biological sex due to youth organizations admitting individuals who identify as girls into intimate spaces like locker rooms and camp cabins.
"These are of grave concerns to parents because they want those safe places for their daughters to be able to really thrive, not worry about competition of biological male against them," Garibay stated.
Amidst this debate, Garibay specifically lauded Cunningham's comments, asking, "Why have a WNBA if we're going to allow guys in?" Garibay contrasted Cunningham's public position with that of Caitlin Clark, who was recently asked about the issue and, according to Garibay, did not directly address it. "Sophie, on the other hand, has decided to get into the miry waters of this and to stand for what I believe is truth," Garibay said, suggesting that Clark's handlers may have advised her to avoid the topic.
Garibay believes there are ample opportunities for transgender youth to find inclusive spaces. "There's so many other opportunities for them to be able to find those places. And I do think perhaps they, just like I had to start American Heritage Girls, perhaps there's something that they can start too that they would feel very good about being amongst themselves and have that support that they so need to address the mental health issues that come along with all of it," she commented.
Garibay drew a parallel to historical struggles for rights, stating, "We've been fighting this fight since back in getting rights to vote for goodness sake. This has been going on a long time. Why are we going backwards?"