Remember when sports were just about who could run fastest or jump highest? Those days seem long gone. Now the battle isn’t just on the field—it’s in the courts, state houses, and swimming pools across America.

Common sense is making a comeback, though. As parents worry about their daughters’ athletic futures, conservative states are drawing lines in the sand. The latest showdown isn’t in high schools or colleges, but in adult swimming where basic biology is up for debate.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is diving into the fight for women’s sports. He filed a lawsuit against U.S. Masters Swimming for letting men compete in women’s events. He calls it deceptive business practices that hurt female athletes.

From ‘The Daily Wire’:

“U.S. Masters Swimming’s insane policy of allowing men to participate in women’s competitions is both deeply unfair to female competitors and unlawful,” Paxton said in a statement. “The organization has cowered to radical activists pushing gender warfare, and it has deprived female participants of the opportunity to succeed at the highest levels by letting men win countless events.”

The lawsuit comes after Paxton’s May investigation when a 47-year-old transgender athlete named Ana Caldas swept the competition. This happened at Spring Nationals in San Antonio. Caldas won first place in five separate women’s races in the 45-49 age group. Biological female swimmers were left behind.

U.S. Masters Swimming has about 60,000 members nationwide. Texas is targeting them under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The state wants up to $10,000 for each violation.

Florida Joins the Battle

Texas isn’t fighting alone. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also warned U.S. Masters Swimming this week. He threatened legal action against the organization, which is based in Sarasota, Florida.

Uthmeier was crystal clear about his concerns. “We will not tolerate it. We will hold you accountable if you are going to endanger our women and girls,” he said. He worried about both fair competition and safety in locker rooms.

The swimming group tried to quiet the storm with a July 1 policy update. The new rules stop transgender athletes from being recognized for placing in events. But they can still compete in categories matching their gender identity.

Too Little, Too Late

Paxton wasn’t impressed with the half-measure. He called the policy change “too little, too late” in his lawsuit. Florida’s Uthmeier agreed, saying the new policy “purports to protect women’s sports, but it does not get the job done.”

This lawsuit rides a bigger wave. Since President Trump signed an order banning transgender athletes from girls’ sports, many groups have changed their rules. The NCAA quickly banned transgender athletes from women’s teams less than a day after Trump’s order.

For many conservatives, these lawsuits mean more than just swimming races. They’re about protecting women’s hard-won chances in sports. As legal battles splash across headlines, Texas and Florida make it clear: in women’s sports, biology isn’t just a suggestion.

The message from these state attorneys general is simple: women’s sports are for women. And they’re ready to go to court to keep it that way.

Key Takeaways

• Texas AG Ken Paxton is suing U.S. Masters Swimming for allowing biological males to compete in women’s events
• The lawsuit follows a transgender athlete winning five women’s races at a San Antonio competition
• Florida has also threatened legal action, focusing on both competition fairness and locker room safety
• Both states reject the organization’s recent policy update as insufficient to protect women’s sports

Sources: Daily Wire, The Texas Tribune