Trump surrogate Tulsi Gabbard backs women’s team who refuse to play against trans athlete

Donald Trump may be dominating the campaign trail, especially after serving realness at McDonald’s.

But it was Tulsi Gabbard who was holding court recently.

The 43-year-old took a break from the pre-election circuit to visit the Nevada women’s volleyball game against Utah State in Reno, last week.

The former Hawaii Congresswoman could be seen watching the game from the sidelines, cheering and clapping enthusiastically. Later, she even spoke with players and posed for photographs.

“I am so proud of you,” Gabbard told captain Sia Liilii.

Her support comes after the team refused to play an October 26 match against Utah State because of trans teammember Blaire Fleming.

In a statement to OutKick, they said: “We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University.

“We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.”

Gabbard’s presence at the game should be no surprise. As a U.S. representative in 2020, she sponsored legislation to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s athletics.

Her bill, the Protect Women’s Sports Act of 2020, said compliance with Title IX should be determined “on the basis of biological sex as determined at birth by a physician.”

“Title IX is being weakened by some states who are misinterpreting Title IX, creating uncertainty, undue hardship and lost opportunities for female athletes,” she said in a statement at the time.

By contrast, in 2019 Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris co-sponsored the so-called Equality Act, which would force schools to allow men to compete in women’s sports.

Since 2020, Gabbard’s passion for protecting women’s sport has only grown. If Trump wins, there are hopes she would take this to the next level in his administration. Trump has vowed to keep men out of women’s sports if elected president.

And Gabbard wouldn’t be alone in her mission.

Gabbard was joined at the event by Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, both of whom were fresh from attending an event for Trump in Carson City.

“This is a noble fight these young ladies are engaged in, and I wanted to be here to stand up with them,” Brown told the Reno Gazette Journal.

“This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. I have an 11-year-old daughter. This is personal,” he said.

However, it is partisan. The University of Nevada itself has refused to acknowledge its team’s decision to protest Fleming’s presence. In a statement, they said the volleyball team’s decision “does not represent” the views of the school and that it still “intends” to play the game.

“The players’ decision and statement were made independently, and without consultation with the University or the athletic department,” it said. “The players’ decision also does not represent the position of the University.

“The University and its athletic programs are governed by the Nevada Constitution and Nevada law, which strictly protect equality of rights under the law, and that equality of rights shall not be denied or abridged by this state or any of its subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.

“The University is also governed by federal law as well as the rules and regulations of the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference, which include providing competition in an inclusive and supportive environment.”

However, that stance doesn’t fly for Liilii and her teammates, who object to playing against someone who was born biologically male.

“For us, it always came down to equal opportunity, fair play on the court,” she said. “Women have fought so hard to get to the point where we are, playing D1 volleyball and having matches like this. For someone who is a biological male to come in is not fair.”

Swimmer Riley Gaines is the latest public figure to back the team.

“University of Nevada becomes the 5th team to forfeit their upcoming match against SJSU,” she posted on X. “Incredibly proud of these girls, this is the way!!!”

Several Nevada players, including Liilii, are being represented by attorney Joe Gilbert.

“I love this university and I look up to the leaders, but it is troubling how it is discriminating against this group of women,” Gilbert said.