Remember when the Left hijacked the aftermath of a deadly shooting at a Christian school in Nashville (the trans perpetrator's manifesto was suppressed for a long time, before it leaked) to make it all about a few Tennessee legislators being temporarily expelled from their elected body? The lawmakers in question -- Democrats, of course -- clearly violated House rules, and were subsequently given the boot. One of them had a history of lawless behavior, including hurling a cup of hot coffee at the Speaker of the Tennessee House. He also launched a racist attack against one of his immigrant colleagues. I wrote about the controversy at the time, suggesting that expulsion may have been heavy-handed, but acknowledging that some form of discipline was undoubtedly in order. The rule-breakers were turned into national celebrities by the 'news' media. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris made a trip down there to show solidarity with these poor Democratic Victims, while snubbing the actual victims of the shooting. The message, repeated over and over, was that the Republican majority overreached to punish legislators (of color, by the way) over their activism. Their insurrection-adjacent and clearly impermissible conduct was treated as an afterthought, if acknowledged at all.
Here's another stroll down memory lane: Do you recall when Senator Elizabeth Warren, a notorious purveyor of various racial lies, violated Senate rules in attacking Jeff Sessions, who was at the time President Trump's nominee for Attorney General? She knowingly refused to comply with chamber rules, drawing a rebuke from Mitch McConnell, who noted that even after she was reprimanded, "nevertheless, she persisted." That phrase quickly became a viral slogan on the left and among female progressives, in particular. It was instantly co-opted by the Left, stitched onto pillows, emblazoned on memorabilia, and widely celebrated. Look at this brave woman, speaking truth to power, and even when white men told her to pipe down, nevertheless she persisted! The media lapped it up, naturally. Warren was still bragging about the moment on television, years later.
Which brings us to this week, and a little-known female legislator in Maine. She posted photos on her Facebook account showing a high school athlete in her state who had competed as a boy the previous year switching to the female competition category this year and beating the biological females. This all happened against the backdrop of President Trump sparring face-to-face with Maine's Democratic governor over the issue of biological males in female sports, with Trump vowing to cut off federal funds to the state over the governor's rejection of his executive order on the matter. "See you in court," she shot back, which progressives immediately turned into a rallying cry. The governor and activists on her side very much favor biological males identifying as females competing against biological females in athletic competition, which critics -- a large majority of Americans, I'll note -- say is fundamentally unfair. One of those critics is Rep. Laurel Libby, who posted pictures of an example of this unfairness on social media. Because the athlete in question is a minor, Democrats moved to punish her for 'irreparably breaking' the public trust.
The resulting debate was extraordinary. We'll get to that footage below, but first, a thought: Because one of the main arguments in favor of self-identifying trans girls and women being allowed to compete against biological girls and women is that it's a fringe issue with little relevance that impacts very few people, pushing back against that narrative is part of the debate. This is no big deal, stop freaking out about something so rare, is the claim that requires a response. In this case, there are high school athletes who were robbed of a chance at fair competition because a biological male entered their category and defeated them. It's legitimate to highlight this outcome because it illustrates a core element of the discussion.
I do think it was inappropriate to share photos of the minor's face (the female athletes' faces are blurred out in the post), even if the point is to demonstrate that it's the same person. That point could have been made without specifically identifying or showing facial features of the person, who is under the age of 18. It's true that the competition was a public event where many photographs were snapped and shared online. Nevertheless, the existence of high school sporting events photographs isn't really the same as a politician sharing a picture of a high school athlete as part of a political argument. The school is now under police protection due to the incident, which is an ugly development. Nevertheless, this is absurd and unfair:
The athlete, who recently competed in the boys' category, out-jumped every other female by half a foot, and the winning pole vault was pivotal in helping Greely High School win the Class B state championship meet by just a single point. Due to the win, the trans athlete has also automatically qualified for the multistate regional championships, taking the spot that would have been awarded to the female athlete who garnered second place had [the athlete] competed in the boys' division.
Rep. Libby spoke out against this, triggering a series of events that resulted in a duly-elected member of the Maine legislature being stripped of her ability to speak in debates, or even vote, unless she formally apologizes to Democrats for her online speech (imagine how this subjective standard can be abused, beyond this abuse). As I indicated above, I think she should have deleted the original post, blurred the trans athlete's face, then reposted it. Her point should stand because it's an important one. Because the person at the center of the brouhaha is a minor, extra privacy considerations should have been afforded. But just as I wrote that Tennessee Republicans' temporary expulsions of those Democrats was heavy-handed, this is an astonishing thing to witness. Watch both clips, especially the long one:
The Maine Democrat Majority has just moved to censure me, for speaking out against their failure to protect Maine girls and keep biological males out of girls' sports.
— Rep. Laurel Libby (@laurel_libby) February 26, 2025
Let me be clear: I will not be silenced and I will not allow the voices of Maine girls to be silenced. pic.twitter.com/Zdy2usGuo6
Even as she attempts to defend her actions and explain her arguments, she is repeatedly interrupted and shut down with points of order, mostly by two men. After she defies their demands for an apology, she's not merely censured or formally reprimanded by her colleagues; her speaking and voting rights are taken away. This story has garnered some attention in right-leaning media, but Libby has not been granted hero status by the so-called 'mainstream' 'news' media. Her pointed, "that's correct" refusal to comply has not captured the imagination and passion of many feminists, even in light of the optics of who's telling her she can no longer speak or vote, and even in light of the cause she's championing. That's because even though protecting women's sports is a broadly popular and common sense policy, left-wing groups (which includes much of the 'news' media) are extremists on this issue, and also think little of trampling speech or expression with which they disagree.
They prioritize fanatical 'allyship' with trans activists more than basic fairness and safety within the realm of female sports. Libby is, well, icky to them, even as she represents the views of most Americans. So as her ability to represent her constituents is crushed by the majority party, they say nothing, or cheer on the crushing. Some breaking of legislative rules is cause for celebration, you see. Other breaking of legislative rules is cause for harsh "accountability."