International Women’s Sports Summit
This content was last updated Nov. 13, 2023, 7:14 p.m. UTC
The 2023 International Women’s Sports Summit, also known as the Sports Summit, took place in Denver, Colorado from July 21, 2023 to July 23, 2023. It was organized by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS).
The event consisted of many prominent anti-trans speakers discussing a range of topics that centered around their core question of whether trans people should be integrated into sports under their assigned gender. It has received praise from the trans exclusionary radical feminist group Women’s Liberation Front.
I saw those tears from the girls at the national championships, who made 9th and 7th, and I saw and felt the extreme discomfort in the locker room when there's a 6’4”, 22 year old man undressing.
Date, Location, and Cost
The 2023 International Women’s Sports Summit was held from July 21, 2023 at 12pm until July 23, 2023 at 3pm. The event took place in Denver, Colorado at Denver Marriott West.
The event cost $199 per attendee, not including hotel fees.
ICONS’ first public action was the June 26-28 International Women’s Sports Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2022. This event consisted of three days of speaking engagements by athletes, doctors and lawyers, primarily on the topic of excluding trans women from women’s sports. Several speakers had their own experiences to share about competing against transgender athletes.
Event Description and Content
The event advertised its purpose as the following. “Is gender debate and confusion swirling around your sports governance duties, your athlete, or your activism? Gain clarity with the International Women’s Sports Summit 2023: The Voice of Female Athletes. Meet with female Olympians and All-Americans about women’s sports in an apolitical, collegial setting.”
Public news media, such as CBS, describe the event, “The question at hand over the weekend at their summit remained, should transgender people be allowed to participate in sports on teams matching their chosen identity?”
The content of the event consisted of various discussions with prominent anti-trans figures in sports and academia about whether or not trans people should compete along with cis people of the same gender, with a prominent focus being placed on trans women. Notable attendees include anti-trans swimmer Riley Gaines, who gained notoriety for being upset at tying with a trans woman for fifth place, anti-trans author Helen Joyce, and biologist Colin Wright. Topics include discussions over Title IX regulations, the supposed psychological war on cisgender women, and the biology of sex.
The event has received praise from the Women’s Liberation Front, whose members compared trans people to pedophiles and misgendered Lia Thomas, the trans woman who competed against Riley Gaines.
Featured speakers:
- Donna deVarona
- Riley Gaines
- Kim Jones
- Marshi Smith
- Helen Joyce
- Carole Hooven
- Linda Blade
- Kara Dansky
- Hadley Manning
- Ro Edge
- Suzanne Vierling
- Sharron Davies
- Lorraine Moller
- Jennifer Sey
- Jon Pike
- Emma Hilton
- Ross Tucker
- Pamela Paresky
- Dina McMillan
- Penn Swimmer
- Paula Scanlan
- Holly LaVesser
- Kylee Alons
- Christina Kiefer
- William Bock
- Katherine Deves
- Irene Aguiar
- Greg Brown
- Mara Yamauchi
- Fiona McAnena
- Colin Wright
- Doreen Denny
- Nancy Hogshead
- Elizabeth Fedak
- Mary O’Connor