Sims: Letter to The Keene City Council

On the proposal to make the city an LGBTQ “Safe Haven”

As a woman, athlete, and coach for girls and women in Keene, New Hampshire, I feel compelled to share my perspective on the proposed initiative to declare Keene a “safe haven” for the “LGBTQIA+ community.” My commitment to fairness and respect for all is unwavering. Still, I believe it is essential to consider how such policies undermine the rights and safety of women and girls, including lesbians. 

While the desire to protect marginalized groups is commendable, the broad term “LGBTQIA+” brings together individuals with vastly different experiences, interests, and needs. This self-contradicting umbrella can obscure the specific rights and protections that women and girls require. As we work to create a more welcoming community, we must ensure that the distinct needs of women and girls, including lesbians, are not lost in the process. For example, lesbian groups are entitled to meet publicly as lesbians, excluding males who claim to be lesbians. Similarly, women’s groups must retain the right to female-only spaces—spaces that have historically been hard-won and are essential for women to feel safe, socialize, organize politically, and cultivate solidarity. 

Gender identity ideology, when incorporated into law and policy, erodes the sex-based rights of women and girls. This is particularly evident in the realm of athletics. Title IX has, for over 50 years, protected equal opportunities for women and girls in sports, and I have personally witnessed the transformative impact of these protections as both a coach and athlete. However, recent policies that allow men to compete in women’s sports have resulted in women athletes unfairly losing awards, scholarships, and podium placements. These losses undermine the spirit of fairness in sports and the hard-earned achievements of female athletes, in contravention of both the intent of Title IX and Supreme Court decisions that protect women based on their female sex. It is unjust and unsporting for the progress made in women’s sports to be undone in the name of inclusion. Sports can either be fair or inclusive. Not both.

Beyond athletics, the issue of privacy and safety in spaces designated as female-only remains critical. I recently experienced a loss of privacy, dignity, and safety when I encountered a male undressing in the women’s locker room at the Keene YMCA. Although a community locker room exists for those who claim nontraditional gender categories, it was unclear why it was not utilized in this instance. Female-designated spaces exist to protect the privacy, dignity, and safety of women and girls—including those who have survived sexual violence or trauma. Allowing males into these spaces results in the exclusion of women and girls from public life because the spaces no longer provide the required functions of single sex spaces if they are open to men.

Keene should absolutely be a community where everyone is treated with respect, but this must not come at the expense of women’s sex-based rights, safety, and dignity. I urge the city council to craft policies that recognize and protect the distinct needs of women and girls, including lesbians, without compromising their historically hard-won rights. Fairness and unity in Keene require that we acknowledge the rights and needs of all community members. Let us work together to ensure that the sex-based rights of women and girls are not destroyed in the service of gender identity ideology. I welcome continued dialogue and thoughtful policy that honors the rights, dignity, and safety of everyone.

Thank you for your service and commitment to Keene.

Bronwyn L. Sims, Gymnastics Coach, Athlete, and Advocate for Women’s Sex-Based Rights

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