Bucks groups welcome Paula Scanlan with focus on protecting female athletes
“An Evening with Paula Scanlan” was held on Thursday, October 9, in Warminster. The event, hosted by State Representative Kristin Marcell (R-Richboro), was organized by several local groups, including Bucks County Election Integrity Task Force, RightForBucks, Bucks County Votes, and Hope for PA.
Keynote speaker Paula Scanlan, a former NCAA Division 1 swimmer, recounted her personal experience competing with trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas (formerly known as William Thomas), on the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team. Scanlan relayed that, during her sophomore year, she and her fellow female swimmers were asked to attend a mandatory meeting at which Thomas, then a member of the men’s swim team, announced that he was transitioning to female and would be joining the women’s team. Scanlan was surprised to find out that an NCAA handbook from 2011 permitted male athletes to participate on female sports teams if they were taking hormones. This is despite the numerous physical advantages that male athletes possess, including increased muscle mass, a larger heart, greater lung capacity, and smaller hips which make them more aerodynamic in the water. When several female swimmers raised concerns about changing in a locker room with Thomas, a fully intact male, they were told it did not matter what they thought, there was nothing they could do about it, and they should just get on board with the decision. The female athletes were further cautioned that if they chose to speak out about the situation, they would be labeled a bigot, viewed as someone who was standing in the way of progress, and they would never get a job. Adding insult to injury, the female athletes who raised concerns were told that they were the ones with the problem, and they should seek counseling. Scanlan eventually decided to tell her story and speak out because she wanted to protect female sports and prevent the young female athletes coming behind her from being forced to change in front of males.
Scanlan reported that 27 states currently have formal legislation preventing male athletes from competing on female sports teams. In addition, in February 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” She encouraged community members to hold school boards accountable and demand that they follow Trump’s executive order.
Toward the end of her address, Scanlan described how her faith had informed her decision to speak out. She expressed her belief that God had specifically put her in the situation with Lia Thomas for a reason. She noted many positive results, including the great people she had met along the way. Scanlan’s faith also kept her grounded and provided a network of support through various faith communities.
State Representative Barb Gleim (R-Carlisle) provided a legislative update on the efforts to protect female athletes. While she described Trump’s order as a good start, she advised that legislation was needed to codify the protections for women. Gleim’s bill, HB 972, known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, had passed both the House and Senate but was vetoed in 2022 by Governor Tom Wolf (D). The similar Senate Bill 9 had been introduced more recently, but it was being kept from going to the floor for a vote, presumably because it would have negative consequences for Governor Josh Shapiro (D). Gleim alerted attendees to House Bill 300, which, if passed, would permit biological males in female locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports. Gleim noted that State Representative Brian Munroe (D-Warminster) had voted in favor of HB 300.
Lexi, a 15-year-old student in the audience, spoke about how “socially dangerous” it could be for female students to speak out on this issue at school. She said that those who were brave enough to speak out frequently faced social ostracism. Lexi was encouraged to seek out local groups such as Turning Point USA and Young Americans for Liberty as well as churches and Christian groups. Scanlan also recommended speaking to people one-on-one in an effort to find areas of agreement. She cautioned against speaking out in groups, where people tended to seek conformity.
Kim Bedillion is a member of Hope for PA’s strategy team and a Perkasie Borough resident.
