The participation of transgender athletes in women’s sport has become a “sleeper issue” that could attract suburban female voters who are otherwise difficult to reach to the former president Donald Trump and to other Republican candidates.

Many voters are becoming aware of the fact that more males, who have a biological mother, identify as females and join teams of women to compete and win against women and girls at middle school, high-school and college levels.

Kim Jones, co-founder and president of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports said: “I’m an excellent example.”

Ms. Jones voted Democrat for many years, and she did so again in the 2020 presidential elections. Her daughter, who was a Yale student, lost in the top collegiate swimming competitions to Lia Thomas. Thomas was a 6-foot-4 man, but he identified as a woman and was allowed to compete on the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team.

“I will never vote for someone who does not know what a women is,” said Jones, an ex-collegiate All-American athlete. “I hear every day from women just like me. Men are also affected. The problem is much more widespread and serious than most people think.

Ms. Jones supports the position of Mr. Trump who has pledged that Title IX – the law protecting women and girls in federally funded schools – will not allow biological men to participate in women and girls sports.

This week, Mr. Trump called Democrats who support the idea of biological men competing with women and against them “ridiculous”. He also said that they were “so out of touch” with mainstream society.

He has told crowds at campaign rallies that he will “keep men out of women’s sports”.

According to polls, the former president shares similar views with most voters who are opposed to transgender and biological boys or men participating as women. Gallup polls released in 2013 found that almost 70% of respondents agreed that transgender athletes shouldn’t be allowed to compete on teams other than their biological gender. In a Los Angeles Times/NORC survey conducted in January, 66% of adults agreed that transgender boys should be prohibited from playing girls’ sports, or allowed to do so only in very rare instances.

Republicans hope that the issue will help them attract female voters in their fight against Democrats who have been gaining ground on the issue of abortion rights, which Ms. Harris has dominated.

In a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, Ms. Harris led Mr. Trump by 16 percentage points among female voters. In other polls, Ms. Harris has a larger lead than Mr. Trump among female voters.

Jim McLaughlin who polls Mr. Trump said that the increasing participation of male biologicals in female sports is of growing importance, especially for suburban women – a crucial voting bloc.

Mr. Trump’s campaign hasn’t aired any ads that specifically address women’s sport, but it is airing ads during NFL games in battleground states to highlight Ms. Harris’ support for policies supporting transgender individuals, such as her previous support for taxpayer funded sex-change operations for illegal immigrants and prisoners.

McLaughlin stated that “in focus groups and advertising testing, the results are overwhelmingly against Democrats.” It just screams extreme.”

Republicans spend millions on advertising to promote candidates on the downballot who are transgender. These ads target Democrats who are under fire in important Senate races.

In an ad for the Senate Leadership Fund running in Montana where incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Tester is losing ground in the polls, a mother warns, “Our sports are being attacked.” “Tester voted for biological men to compete against our female athletes in their sports. Tester wanted men to use the girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms. It’s disgusting.”

As a candidate for the presidency, Ms. Harris remained silent about this issue. Her campaign also did not respond when asked to clarify her position.

She has promised to protect transgender rights, but she hasn’t stated where she stands on the issue of biological males who identify themselves as females being allowed to play women’s sport.

In April, as vice president she was involved in the Biden administration’s initiative to revise Title IX so that transgender people are included on the list of those who are protected by the law. The new rules do not cover sports.

Education Department officials have not established rules for the participation of transgender athletes in sports. Advocates were told that they needed to spend more time on the matter. The critics said that the wording is too broad and could allow biological males to participate in female sports.

Riley Gaines is a former collegiate swimmer who now campaigns to keep biological men from women’s sports. She said that young female voters are becoming more concerned about this issue.

She said Democrats avoid the issue, knowing that the public doesn’t support men competing with women who are biologically females.

Gaines is a former University of Kentucky swimmer who tied with Thomas in the 2022 NCAA Championships. She became a vocal critic of transgender sports participation. She is the director of the Riley Gaines Center, at the Leadership Institute, and the host of Outkick’s “Gaines for Girls”.

Gaines stated that “what I’m learning” is what she and her teammates have experienced — being exploited or abused in locker rooms or women getting hurt or injured while playing sports. This is becoming more common, and people are tired of it.