Dan Bartkowiak, communications director for the Pennsylvania Family Council, tells AFN it is a conversation that is must continue.
In his state, he says that former Governor Tom Wolf (D) vetoed the legislature's attempt to protect girls with the Fairness in Women's Sports Act.
"There are those that think biological males should be competing with females and changing in women's locker rooms," Bartkowiak notes. "It's just not right, it's not safe, and it's a tragedy to the women and girls throughout our commonwealth."
In states where females' rights are not protected, he says female students are having to figure it out on their own.
"We've had attempts by several great state lawmakers to try to protect these rights, [and] we've had governors and officials who are looking to take away those rights," he laments. "So again, it's a conversation that's needed. It's a conversation that folks need to have with their state representatives, state senators, and we need to ultimately protect these girls and women."
Bartkowiak's comments coincide with the efforts of female athlete-turned-activist Riley Gaines, who spoke at Penn State University on October 10 for a Real Women's Day rally.
On Monday, the day before the event, Gaines said the school had canceled her appearance. She posted a video in which Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi previously explained that, as a public university, the school is "bound by the First Amendment" to allow speakers "that many will consider controversial, either because their views are not widely held or because a speaker espouses ideas that are actively hateful."
The university claims a deadline for submitting the room reservation was missed.
Dozens of protestors arrived at her outdoor speech, and two were arrested.
Bartkowiak says he "fully" supports what Riley Gaines is doing.
