James Uthmeier targets U.S. Masters Swimming over rules governing trans competitors

Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent a written demand that U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) commit to blocking transgender athletes from competing in women’s events.

“We call on them to unequivocally certify that they will not allow any men to compete in any women’s sports,” Uthmeier said during a news conference in Orlando.

USMS, a nonprofit athletic organization geared toward competitive swimmers 18 years old and older, has recently instituted some policies restricting transgender athletes from winning women’s events. That came after the organization’s Spring National Championships in Texas where a transgender athlete won five women’s events in the 45-to-49 age class.

The organization on July 1 announced it would allow transgender athletes to take part in events aligning with their gender identity, but that they cannot be included in “competitive awards and rankings offered within USMS.”

Uthmeier said that workaround is hollow.

“They created a new policy that purports to try and protect women’s sports. But it does not get the job done,” Uthmeier said. “This is not acceptable. It does not fly with Florida law. We will use every tool in our disposal from our civil rights laws to our anti-discrimination laws to our consumer protection laws to ensure that we are protecting women athletes.”

Uthmeier said Florida already has the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” that was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis four years ago. But that law covers public schools and universities and prevents transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s competition.

Kim Jones, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, flanked Uthmeier at the news conference and said she supports the move by the Attorney General.

“Sports are the public arena for the difference of the sexes. We all know what a woman is,” Jones said. “Women are not the equivalent of hampered or weakened men. That insult is breathtaking. … This is abuse of women.”

Cassidy Carlisle is a woman athlete from Maine and a Nordic Skier. She’s been a vocal advocate of banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports and also threw her support behind Uthmeier while attending the announcement event in Orlando.

“I was losing because the playing field wasn’t level. It left me feeling defeated not just as an athlete but as a young woman who believed that hard work should mean something,” Carlisle said. “This isn’t about exclusion, it’s about fairness. Every girl deserves the chance to compete with confidence that her effort truly matters.”

Newly appointed Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas was also at Uthmeier’s news conference to back Uthmeier’s efforts.

Attempts to reach USMS were unsuccessful and the organization has not issued any statements about the Uthmeier announcement on its social media accounts.

Uthmeier said he intends to pursue the issue aggressively.

“We hope they do the right thing and we will certify it in writing,” Uthmeier said. “We hope they do it on their own in amicable fashion. If they don’t do so, then we’ll pursue litigation.”