The 2026 elections were, well, not entirely to the benefit of Republicans and conservatives. But we did have a few key wins, and one area in which the common sense (as in, actual common sense, not the reality-denying Democrat definition of "common sense") prevailed, was in the lunatic practice of allowing boys and men to compete in girls' and women's sports. There are solid, scientific reasons for not allowing this, having to do with the considerable physical advantages of speed, strength and endurance that come along with a Y chromosome.
These are facts, and no amount of shouting and gesticulating by leftist activists will change that.
Now, in the wake of the 2026 elections, we can at least hold up the victory of several states passing ballot initiatives banning male athletes from female sports teams and leagues. I wrote about this the day after the election.
The 2026 midterm elections were difficult for Republicans, but in four states, things may be looking up for girls and women in sports. Reality has been acknowledged; Arizona and Nebraska voters have reportedly passed measures banning "transgender women" (dudes) from women's sports, and Washington and Colorado may be poised to follow suit.
Since then, Washington and Colorado have joined the side of reality, as wins in those initiatives have been confirmed. Colorado has also passed measures banning "gender-affirming" surgeries for minors.
Now, in the wake of the election, we should take a moment to credit the Colorado mother who campaigned for that new Colorado initiative, restoring fairness to girls' sports and preventing children from being surgically neutered in the Centennial State.
A Colorado mother who said her daughter was secretly socially transitioned at school helped lead a grassroots campaign that delivered major midterm victories, including measures restricting boys from playing in girls' spots in the traditionally Democratic state.
Erin Lee, executive director and co-founder of Protect Kids Colorado, told Fox News Digital that the campaign's success was deeply personal, coming more than five years after an experience involving her daughter transformed her from a self-described left-leaning Democrat into a prominent parental rights advocate.
"I co-founded Protect Kids Colorado because, five-and-a-half years ago, my 12-year-old daughter was secretly transitioned in her sixth-grade classroom," Lee said.
Now, this is an unforgivable breach of trust by the schools; parental rights should be the primary deciding factor here, but Colorado and other blue states seem to have a surfeit of teachers who are willing to sit across from a parent in a parent-teacher conference and lie to their faces.
But Erin Lee wasn't having it. She started Protect Kids Colorado, not only to fight against what happened to her daughter, but also against putting boys in girls' sports, against surgical and chemical "gender-affirming" treatments for minors, as well as pushing for mandatory life sentences for child trafficking.
In 2023, Lee, her husband and another couple, who at the time had sixth-grade daughters attending Wellington Middle-High School (WMS), sued educators at the Poudre School District with the assistance of America First Policy Institute and Illumine Legal, according to a copy of the lawsuit.
Her group championed three ballot initiatives: Proposition 133, which increases penalties for child sex trafficking to life in prison without parole; Proposition 134, which would generally require students to compete on school sports teams corresponding to their biological sex; and Proposition 135, which would prohibit certain gender-transition surgeries for minors.
This was a true grassroots movement, too. That's important. This was a campaign of people on the ground, and despite being massively outspent, Erin Lee's side won, handily.
Lee said the campaign relied on more than 3,300 petition circulators, over 1,900 notaries and support from more than 1,000 churches. She claimed opponents spent more than $5 million, outspending her organization by more than 20 to 1.
"This really was a movement of the people," Lee said.
So, why is this important for Republicans? Well, here's why and I'm going to tell you.
This is one of those 80-20 issues, as evidenced by the fact that these ballot initiatives, in a state (Colorado) that has been largely taken over by the Democrat Party and the Denver-Boulder Axis, still passed handily. It would be better if they had passed by an 80-20 margin, but in a blue state, we should take it as it is; in cases like these, an inch is as good as a mile. And in states like Texas, which despite the hysterical claims of Democrats, probably hasn't flipped for good? This is a key issue, and it's one that works to the advantage of Republicans and conservatives.
Most people don't want to have their kids chemically or surgically altered. Most people don't want boys in their daughters' sports teams, or in their locker rooms and showers. Most people know that boys and men have physical advantages that should preclude them from competing against girls and women. Most people understand reality. That's an issue that the GOP should own, moving forward, especially as we get into the 2028 campaign season — which has already begun, in fact, it began on the day after the 2026 midterms.
This is one issue the right has the moral and political high ground on. We should take advantage of that.
And, full credit to Erin Lee, regardless of her personal politics in other issues, for caring about Colorado's kids — and for her tireless work in getting this done.
