Musings from a Newcomer

Guest post by Holly A. Magalengo

Source: IKM found this somewhere on teh internets.

Today we have a guest post by Holly Magalengo (X handle: @holly_berre). Holly, we’re sorry that you and your daughter have to experience this, but we’re glad to have you on our side.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a critical day. Not because of a lawsuit or the camaraderie surrounding the fight. Not because of a loaded courtroom with people that I mostly have never met in person but have come to trust and respect. It was going to flood our fight in the sunlight here in Pennsylvania. I enjoy conversation and I talk to people all the time. Truthfully many, although well intentioned, do not know that girls and women have been losing their safe single-sex spaces and access to fair athletic competition. There is a reason for this and because I am so recently on the cusp of this battle that I think I may be able to tell you why.

Like so many others, I joined a fight knowing very little other than that there was an injustice to my daughter. Clearly, I couldn’t be the only mother in Pennsylvania speaking out that boys should not be invading our girls’ athletics? Thankfully the instinctual questions and concerns of a mother fell on Title IX attorneys, K Altman in Michigan. My daughter said yes and so did I.

For a long time, I didn’t speak. I thought that wrongs would be righted through the legal system; there was an Executive Order after all. I stayed quiet in an effort to protect my family. Then, I was asked to be interviewed by a few local organizations and political radio segments. Those supportive of girls and women reached out which encouraged me to speak more. Truth be told, there was more support than hate. Through prayer, I know that speaking the truth is always the answer. At the time, I didn’t know how language could be loaded or understand how imperative it is to use the right words. I sought individuals and organizations on X and began unraveling this crazy upside down. X spaces energized me and I was shocked that what is happening in Pennsylvania is also happening in multiple states across the U.S., Europe, and Canada.

I needed to know how this all began and someone shared “Tracing the Origins of Gender Identity.” Well, okay. Now, I get it. My gut wasn’t steering me wrong. No. This was the best PR stunt the world has ever seen. Not only did it disadvantage every woman in the world but it also gave wings to a disgusting assault on children. Men getting off on being in women’s spaces managed to change the views of the world by implicating children. This effectively swapped societal disgust for men’s kink and fetish for compassion for gender-confused children. In reading this history, I learned that “Minneapolis, Minnesota, passed the first known US law explicitly protecting against discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” (for equivalent phrasing tied to transgender status). On December 30, 1975, the city amended its civil rights ordinance to become the first “trans-inclusive” non-discrimination law in the United States, covering employment, housing, and public accommodations. Contemporary records and later legal histories describe it as prohibiting bias against those with a ‘self-image or identity not traditionally associated with one’s biological maleness or femaleness.’” I came into the world on this day. If ever a person had a moment of clarity, this was mine.

Since September 2024, my life has been a revolving door of people with skin in this game that I have either communicated with directly or immersed myself in their words in an effort to educate myself. Kaitlynn Wheeler, Moms for Liberty, Representative Barb Gleim, Talk Radio 1210 WPHT/Dom Giordano, Dawn Stensland-Mendte, local Republican Clubs, Beth Bourne, Belfast Beatnik, Julie Potter (@JFPRapz), Outkick (Dan Zaksheske), Kara Dansky, DIAG/Ellie Swimmer, Alexis Pasternak (@luce_lexi), Concerned Women for America/Dilonna Coran, PA Family Council/Emily Kreps, TERF Radio/Emmi Pinkhurst and Peeja Blackbird, Lori Sundgren, Cynthia Breheny (@PTElephant), Women Are Real, PA for Sex-Based Rights/Infamous Kitteh Mama and Melissa in Philly, California Teachers Supporting Gender Non-Confirming Youth, Massachusetts 4 Women, Maine Girl Dads. Other than sharing my sincere thanks to everyone mentioned here in chronological order (and those I may have inadvertently left out), this section is not for clout. It is to demonstrate how this issue reaches across the vast political spectrum. Truth reaches across boundaries and unites.

And as a newbie, I can tell you that there are still more people who do not understand what is happening than those who do. The recent SCOTUS decision (Hecox and BPJ) has absolutely forced the hand of mainstream media to cover this topic. However, the majority of media outlets would rather swallow their own vomit than divulge the diversity of the alliances mentioned above fighting for the rights of women and girls to safe single-sex spaces and fair athletics. This prevents vast numbers of Pennsylvanians and Americans from understanding the truth of what is taking place. Unless someone is intricately involved in this struggle, it is incredibly hard for them to unravel. Most quickly jump to “feeling bad” for the children or think that it is unfair to have boys in girls’ sports but they do not want to be ”unkind.” It has taken me close to two years to learn, understand, and navigate the intricacies to become a remotely valuable addition to the team. How can we expect everyday Americans to understand when the main media outlets no longer truthfully answer who, what, where, when, and why?

My hope is that our various silo-organizations can work together to make our varied voices in this fight unmistakable. The aforementioned PR campaign has wreaked havoc on our youths’ ability to distinguish fact from fiction. They were taught that speaking the truth is “unkind.” This cycle must be undone or momentum toward restoring women’s rights will diminish generationally. Taking advantage of every form of communication to reach the masses is needed. This should not overshadow simple conversation with people who are on the outside of our direct battle lines. Awkward? Sure. Impactful? 100%. Engaging those not on X, not on Substack, is critical. Other forms of social media protecting children and students have never been more important. This means striking at the core of education to return to truth and core foundational studies. There is so much to be undone, but looking at that formidable list of people and organizations that only one unknowing person has encountered in less than two years, I have tremendous faith that truth will once again be upheld.

These are my musings since entering this fight on September 11, 2024.

25-2684 Aislin Magalengo v. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, et. al. is now before the Pennsylvania Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court has decided to hear our case on paper although oral arguments were requested by our legal team and originally scheduled for July 9, 2026. Lawsuits may prove extremely helpful when our elected officials refuse to protect the civil rights of women and girls.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Holly!