By March Twisdale
Years ago, a very smart friend of mine said the following: “Puberty blockers are perfectly safe. All you’re doing is hitting the pause button on puberty. When you go off them, everything resumes like normal. No harm done.”
I remember that moment. Where I was standing. The weather. The time of day. The energy behind my friend’s words. And my awareness that she was not open to hearing anything that might contradict that comfortable fiction. I chose to simply listen. But, what I believed then, and still do, is that manipulating hormones does not “pause” this all-important stage of our physical development.
Puberty is the crucible of biological change through which we become fully capable of reproduction, and there is a predetermined and perfect time for it to occur. Whereas life has intrinsic value in the eyes of God, Mother Nature is laser-focused on the continuation of the species. There is nothing natural (or safe) about trying to dodge millions of years of evolution.
Why did I keep my peace? (1) I recognize a closed door when I see one, and (2) I am an American.
America is a land enriched by diversity, nourished by individual choice, and honest enough to accept the imperfection of human nature. This is why we have laws primarily protecting us from harm versus laws that force us to do or say or act in a particular way. It’s why “language-controlling laws” in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom are anathema to our American way of life.
Unfortunately, the peace did not last.
One day, my friend said, “If you ever write about trans issues, our friendship will be over.” Again, I remember where I was standing, the weather, the sounds of the farm around us, and the time of day. And my awareness that our friendship was over.
A relationship where one is told what they can and cannot speak or write about is one with a broken power dynamic. Controlling what people can say, privately or in public, destroys the foundation of relationships, community, and our nation.
On Vashon, our foundation is crumbling under the pressure of issues so HOT, no one will touch them. The strain of keeping our silence and inhibiting our thoughts, is palpable. My 2026 article series is meant to help us break free, because NO ONE should be silenced or attempt to silence another.
But, the problem goes beyond people silencing people. Entire narratives are driven by media, advocacy groups, and politicians who control and exacerbate the debate landscape around wedge issues. It’s a form of programming that’s very effective.
When a new “hot topic” is presented, it arrives with scripted talking points, carefully drawn battle lines, and clear teams. Almost overnight, we take our position as “approved allies,” armed with arguments spoon-fed to us. NOT our own thoughts. NOT our unique ideas. NOT our personal experiences. Why? Because we’re not meant to contribute. We are meant to be pawns and obedient foot soldiers.
Does this bother you? It bothers me! I have my own thoughts, thank you very much. And today, I’m going to share a few of them.
Female-only spaces have traditionally been safe havens. They are secure, protected spaces where one group of humans (biological males) are not permitted. Why? Because when a woman disrobes, she becomes more sexually vulnerable. To destroy female-only spaces in the public sphere is to eliminate safety beyond the home.
I am especially sensitive to the needs of Muslim women, for whom “males in traditional female spaces” is absolutely forbidden. That’s 4.5 million American Muslim families impacted, if their wives, mothers, and daughters can no longer utilize public restrooms, belong to gyms, compete in sports or enjoy guaranteed female-only venues or events.
If you’re the type to insist “they should get over it, because there’s nothing to worry about,” please pause and think. There are four categories of men seeking access to female-only spaces. (1) Biological males wishing to live as a woman. (2) The mentally ill. (3) Men with fetishes. (4) Sexual predators. We cannot know who is who, and no laws robbing women of female-only spaces acknowledges the FACT that they’ve opened the doors to all four categories.
It’s 2026, and I would like to see some accountability on the part of men. Butch women feel comfortable in a women’s restroom. Shouldn’t effeminate and/or biological males living as women feel safe in biological male-only spaces? Maybe this is your invitation to expand acceptable behavior norms for biological males? Because that’s what a “trans woman” is: a biological male living, feeling, thinking, and being a certain way. Shouldn’t biological male-only spaces be safe and comfortable for all biological males?
Lastly, sports competition between biological males and females is wrong. In physically competitive sports, where biology confers intrinsic advantage and winning matters, males should not be permitted to compete against females. This is why the International Olympic Committee should be ashamed of their abject failure to protect female athletes at the Paris Olympics, and we should all be heartened by the new policy (announced March 26, 2026) restricting eligibility for female Olympic events to biological females only.
Regarding Washington Initiative IL26-638, opponents say, “There are so few biological males competing as females, it’s a non-issue.”
How dare anyone diminish the experience of young women and girls ousted from the winner’s podium by biological male competitors? We should be asking, “If so few biological males are competing against thousands and thousands of female players, why do they keep showing up on the victory podium?” Around the globe, we see biological males dominating women’s and girl’s sporting events. This isn’t imaginary. It is proof that biology matters in physical sports.
No one is trying to police how athletes live on their own time. There’s nothing wrong with a biological male acting, dressing, and claiming to be a woman, even while competing in school sports, community sports, or at the Olympic level. But you must do so while competing against other biological males.
You cannot race against women, in the water or on the ground, and you cannot beat women up in the boxing ring. Period. It’s not safe. It’s not fair. It’s not acceptable.
Editor’s Note: Washington Initiative IL-26-638 begins: “AN ACT relating to defending equity in interscholastic sports,” and concerns restricting students it defines as biologically male from competing in K-12 athletics that are “intended exclusively for female students.”
Read the full text of Intiative IL26-638 here.
