A top Nevada Democrat is taking aim at Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony for his work to keep biological males out of women’s sports. Assembly Education Committee Chair Selena Torres-Fossett says Anthony should mind his own business and stick to his official duties instead.
The Heated Attack
Assembly Education Committee Chair Selena Torres-Fossett didn’t mince words when talking about Lt. Gov. Anthony’s efforts to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports. In a recent interview on Nevada Newsmakers, she harshly criticized him for stepping outside his formal job duties.
“The lieutenant governor’s office has other responsibilities that they need to be focusing on, and it’s disappointing to see our state resources being allocated toward this political effort, when we have things that Nevada needs,” Torres-Fossett said.
She went even further, suggesting Anthony is only using the issue to boost his political career:
“Quite honestly, the lieutenant governor’s office should be working on small business advocacy, and that’s where they should be investing their time, not on creating political rallies for their campaign for their next big office.”
This Comes After NIAA Votes to Protect Girls’ Sports
This criticism comes just days after the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) Board of Control voted 8-0 to align its transgender athlete policy with federal law. The decision keeps high school sports participation based on birth sex rather than gender identity.
“Today’s vote sends a clear message: Nevada values and protects opportunities for female athletes,” Anthony said after the vote. “Girls deserve a level playing field, and this action helps ensure they can compete, grow, and succeed without having to compromise safety or fairness.”
Under the new NIAA rules, students must have a doctor designate their birth sex on physical evaluation forms, and starting in fall 2025, students will need to provide their “unaltered” birth certificate during physicals.
An Ethics Complaint Follows
The criticism from Torres-Fossett also comes as The Nevadans for Equal Rights Committee filed an ethics complaint last month against Anthony, alleging his Task Force is a misuse of state resources.
The complaint follows Anthony’s admission during a legislative hearing last month that he used government resources, including staff time, supplies, equipment and travel expenses to support the task force, according to a KRNV-TV report.
The Equal Rights Committee’s stance is that Anthony’s Task Force violates Nevada’s Equal Rights Amendment approved by voters in 2022.
Why Anthony Created the Task Force
Anthony was inspired to create his task force by the Nevada volleyball team. The team made headlines last fall when they refused to play against San Jose State because that team included a transgender player.
Anthony has created his “Task Force To Protect Women In Sports,” holding a rally at the Capitol last month on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Republicans Tulsi Gabbard – the current director of national intelligence – plus U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and then-Nevada GOP U.S. Senate candidate Captain (ret.) Sam Brown all attended Nevada’s volleyball match with Fresno State to support Nevada team members for their stance against San Jose State.
The Bill Before the Legislature
The conflict centers around Assembly Bill 240, which would ban biological males from participating in Nevada women’s interscholastic and collegiate sports. The bill has strong Republican support.
A ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports is a major culture war cause for many Republicans in the Nevada Legislature. AB240 has 16 primary and co-sponsors, all Republicans.
Last week, many high school and middle school girls and parents showed up at Torres-Fossett’s committee meeting to support this bill.
What Torres-Fossett Says Voters Actually Care About
Torres-Fossett claims the transgender athlete issue isn’t what real Nevadans care about.
“During the campaign season, I spent a lot of time knocking on doors, talking to Nevada voters,” she told host Sam Shad. “And this is an issue that Nevada voters were not talking to me about,” she continued.
“Whether or not students identify as a woman in sports was not an issue that Nevada voters were prioritizing,” Torres-Fossett said.
A Conservative View: Why This Matters
For conservatives who value limited government, this clash represents more than just a debate about sports. It highlights how Democrats often try to shut down discussion of traditional values by claiming these issues aren’t “real” concerns.
While Torres-Fossett suggests Anthony should stick to his formal duties, many conservatives believe protecting women’s spaces and fair competition is everyone’s responsibility – especially elected officials who have a platform.
The attempt to use an ethics complaint to silence advocacy for women’s sports strikes many conservatives as using government power to push a political agenda while claiming others are doing exactly that.
What You Can Do
If you believe officials like Lt. Gov. Anthony should stand up for women’s sports, here are some ways to show support:
- Contact your state representatives to voice your support for AB 240.
- Write to the Ethics Commission defending Anthony’s use of resources for this important cause.
- Attend public hearings when the bill is discussed again.
- Share your views on social media using the hashtag #ProtectGirlsSports.
The debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports continues to be a flashpoint in the broader cultural conversation about gender, fairness, and the role of government. While some politicians try to dismiss these concerns, the packed committee hearing last week shows many Nevada families believe this issue matters deeply.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
