Maine Teens Battling State Democrats On Girls' Sports Bill After Enduring Trans Athlete Chaos In High School

A four-woman squad of Presque Isle High School student athletes helped lead a march connected Maine's authorities Capitol building successful Augusta past week. 

They went to spar pinch authorities legislature Democrats complete 3 bills that would prohibition biologic males from girls' sports – an rumor that has sent their authorities and sports seasons spiraling into chaos successful 2025. 

For 3 of them, it was their first governmental rally, and they were taking halfway stage. They had to wade done pro-transgender counter-protesters extracurricular nan building, and dismissive wide lawmakers wrong it. 

"It was a small intimidating knowing they don't person nan aforesaid beliefs arsenic us," Hailey Himes, a first-time protester, told Fox News Digital. 

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Maine girls' way and section jock Hailey Himes (Courtesy of Hailey Himes)

But Himes said she realized she had to subordinate nan conflict to protect girls' sports from trans athletes erstwhile her English coach assigned her an effort connected nan taxable connected March 12. 

Just 1 period earlier that, Himes and different female athletes witnessed nan rod vault jump that plunged their authorities into a nationalist conflict, erstwhile a trans jock won first spot successful girls' rod vault for Greely High School successful early February. 

"I watched this antheral rod vaulter guidelines connected nan podium and we were each conscionable for illustration looking we were for illustration ‘We’re beautiful judge that's not a girl. There's nary measurement that's a girl,'" Himes said. "It was really discouraging, particularly for nan girls connected nan podium not successful first place. So that motivated maine to conflict for them." 

So Himes, on pinch her way and section teammates Lucy Cheney and Carrlyn Buck, marched connected Augusta, pursuing nan lead of chap Presque Isle way jock Cassidy Carlisle, who has already taken portion successful 2 marches successful Augusta and trips to Washington, D.C., to meet pinch GOP leaders connected nan issue.

The group had gained plentifulness of acquisition successful dealing pinch controversies involving trans athlete, adjacent to location for years together. Years earlier, nan girls saw their precocious schoolhouse rocked by a business involving a trans athlete, erstwhile a biologic antheral joined nan girls' tennis team. 

"We each heard of it from friends and nary of america do tennis truthful it was conscionable benignant of a connection of rima benignant of thing," Cheney said. "At that constituent we couldn't really do thing astir it because nan management agreed to fto them play truthful we really conscionable had to judge it, and really nary 1 other connected nan squad really wanted to judge it, but they had to."

Maine girls' way and section jock Lucy Cheney

All 4 girls added that it quickly became 1 of nan most-discussed topics successful Presque Isle High School erstwhile it first happened, and it continued passim nan 2022-23 and 2023-24 schoolhouse years, earlier nan trans jock graduated past summer.

Now, this year, they've each had to compete nether nan protector of a nationalist conflict betwixt their authorities and President Donald Trump because Gov. Janet Mills and nan Democratic mostly person committed to keeping trans athletes successful girls' sports. 

Mills' stance risks costing nan state's precocious schools national funding, while leaving Carlisle, Himes, Cheney, Buck and their teammates facing nan worry of competing against trans athletes successful nan state's way and section playoffs.

MAINE ROCKED BY TRANS ATHLETE DOMINANCE AT GIRLS' TRACK MEET AMID ONGOING LEGAL CONFLICT WITH TRUMP

When nan 4 teens sewage into nan Capitol connected Thursday, they came look to look pinch nan individuals who were fighting to support trans athletes successful their sports. The Maine legislature's Democratic mostly has been actively and aggressively resisting nan Trump management for months complete nan president's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. 

But now 3 Republican-backed bills – LD 868, LD 233 and LD 1134 – were connected their ain level to reverse its policy, and complete a twelve Maine precocious schoolhouse girls' athletes were location to conflict nan Democrats for it. 

"They decidedly asked a batch little questions to nan group who they didn't work together pinch than nan group who they did work together with, and you could show they did not consciousness arsenic compassionate," Cheney said of nan Democratic leaders. 

"They sewage affectional conscionable erstwhile [pro-trans speakers] were sharing, and it seemed for illustration they really cared for them, and they wanted to support them, and it didn't consciousness arsenic overmuch arsenic they wanted to perceive our side." 

Buck said that erstwhile nan Democrats did travel to them pinch questions, they seemed "hostile." 

"They conscionable seemed much dispute toward our testimonies erstwhile they did inquire questions," Buck said. "It felt for illustration a batch of questions were being pestering." 

Maine girls' way and section jock Carrlyn Buck

Still, nan teens made judge to fto everyone successful nan enclosure cognize what it was they were dealing with, arsenic nan trans athletes competing successful Maine's way and section playoffs frighten to upend their full season.

A trans-identifying jock who competed for North Yarmouth Academy successful Yarmouth, Maine, precocious dominated nan girls' 800-meter and 1600-meter events astatine nan Poland-NYA-Yarmouth-Seacoast meet, prompting nationalist outrage.

"For my teammates, and immoderate of my champion friends connected nan squad that are successful nan events pinch [the trans athletes], it's really unfortunate for them, and conscionable our squad arsenic a full because those points will effect our squad ranking," Himes said, adding that different section woman suggested her parents won't let her to compete successful nan aforesaid arena pinch a trans athlete. 

Buck added, "It's not conscionable astir nan points, it's besides that our teammates are going to consciousness discouraged erstwhile placed successful an arena against them because they're going successful already knowing that nan result is decided, pinch playing against a biologic antheral who is biologically stronger than them, truthful they person nary chance." 

Carlisle is already very acquainted pinch that emotion of defeat, having mislaid to nan aforesaid jock who dominated nan Poland-NYA-Yarmouth-Seacoast meet successful past moving and skiing competitions, making love backmost to 2023. On apical of that, she first had to acquisition changing successful nan aforesaid locker room pinch a antheral successful seventh people erstwhile a trans student was successful her gym class. 

MAINE GIRL INVOLVED IN TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE REVEALS HOW STATE'S POLICIES HURT HER CHILDHOOD AND SPORTS CAREER

Maine precocious schooler Cassidy Carlisle moving successful a way event. (Courtesy of Cassidie Carlisle)

But moreover now, arsenic an ascending crusader against trans inclusion successful girls' sports, having attended marches, meetings of GOP attorneys wide and moreover a Department of Justice property convention announcing a suit against Maine complete nan issue, she says she still has a friend who is transgender. 

"I pass pinch them almost connected nan daily, we ne'er person antagonistic interactions," Carlisle said. "For group that want to opportunity we're not accepting, that's not nan problem. We don't person a problem successful wide pinch trans people. We person a problem erstwhile it starts to effect our lives." 

Carlisle has saved her resentment, not for trans people, aliases moreover nan trans athletes, but for Mills. 

"She is straight looking astatine america and saying ‘I don’t attraction astir you,'" Carlisle said. "When I ballot adjacent time, I'll perfectly return that into consideration." 

All 4 teens scheme connected making regular trips to nan authorities Capitol to lobby connected behalf of LD 868, LD 233, and LD 1134 until they are signed into law, arsenic they activity to support males retired of their sports, and support national backing going to their schools. 

"Our schools request national funding," Carlisle said. "So for [Mills], now she's not conscionable looking astatine Maine woman athletes and saying ‘I don’t really attraction astir you.' She's looking astatine students successful Maine and saying ‘I don’t attraction astir you and I don't attraction if your schoolhouse gets funding, because I'm going to prime a conflict that really doesn't request to beryllium picked.'" 

The DOJ has accused nan authorities of "openly and defiantly flouting national anti-discrimination rule by enforcing policies that require girls to compete against boys successful diversion competitions designated exclusively for girls," according to a title obtained by Fox News Digital.

Mills, nan Maine Department of Education and nan Maine Principals' Association person held firmly successful support of continuing to alteration trans inclusion successful girls' sports crossed nan state, citing nan Maine Human Rights Act arsenic nan precedent for determining gender eligibility. 

Meanwhile, 2 Maine schoolhouse districts person already taken matters into their ain hands, arsenic MSAD No. 70 and RSU No. 24 person each moved to amend their ain policies to support trans athletes retired of girls' sports. 

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Presque Isle High School girls' athletes, from left, Carrlyn Buck, Hailey Himes, Cassidy Carlisle and Lucy Cheney. (Fox News Digital)

And successful summation to those schoolhouse districts and young women for illustration Carlisle, Buck, Himes and Cheyney, Mills and nan Democrats whitethorn yet extremity up facing much soul guidance than external. 

A survey by nan American Parents Coalition recovered that retired of astir 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that schoolhouse sports information should beryllium based connected biologic sex, and 66% agreed it is "only adjacent to restrict women’s sports to biologic women."

The canvass besides recovered that 60% of residents would support a ballot measurement limiting participation in women’s and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents pinch kids nether property 18.

But truthful far, nan politician has remained patient successful opposing Trump connected nan issue, moreover astatine nan costs of taxpayer-funded ineligible fees. 

"I’m happy to spell to tribunal and litigate nan issues that are being raised successful this tribunal complaint," Mills told reporters successful April.

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