To the editor:

Congratulations Zack Metiva on being voted the 2020 MTU Winter Carnival Queen, at least for a few hours, but before we get too caught up in the prank or the “high fiving” over in the Diversity Office, consider the Pandora’s Box being opened. I hope that there are a few adults over in Administration waking up over this, and to be fair to Zack, he didn’t create this problem, but he did get me thinking.

There is a small movement in some corners of the sports world where men are choosing to become women (trans-women). Why? Greed and notoriety largely. These men are not good enough to be in the top tiers of male athletics, but by identifying as female and taking hormones they will and are setting new women’s athletic records and getting their names in the books. Along with that will come endorsements and money. Men, identifying as women, are faster, larger and stronger than real women. The impressive USA’s women’s soccer team does not scrimmage boy’s soccer teams above the high school level because they would likely lose.

What has this to do with Winter Carnival Queen Competition? A male has moved into what has been traditionally female territory and won. Our boy Zack was just having fun, but think about this. Woman’s athletics at MTU or any university offers women’s scholarships – no small amount of money. To a male, like Zack, self-centered and no shame, taking advantage of Title IX and changing genders for a chance at a “free ride” at a good school is well within the realm of possibilities. Consider that a man will run faster, hit harder, throw farther, jump higher and farther than most any woman. Apply those physical attributes to any major female sport and you’ll begin to get the idea.

Discrimination is illegal although selectively enforced. Trans-women haven’t been much of an issue, but that is changing. One of these days a university will be presented with an athlete who may or may not inform them that she is a former male identifying as female. If the athlete is not selected the school will be presented with a law suit for gender discrimination. Perhaps it has already happened. Ladies, not only is your Carnival crown up for grabs, but your athletic scholarships as well.