Elisabeth Hasselbeck argues safety of biological women should be top priority in transgender athlete debate

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America needs to prioritize the safety of biological women in sports: Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Former 'Fox & Friends' co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck sits down with Pete Hegseth in Nashville to discuss Riley Gaines' emotional testimony before Congress and provide an inside look at her book, 'Flashlight Night.'

Former "Fox & Friends" host and collegiate athlete Elisabeth Hasselbeck stressed the importance of prioritizing the safety of biological female athletes Thursday after former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines recalled unwillingly sharing a locker room with transgender competitor Lia Thomas. Hasselbeck returned to "Fox & Friends" to react to Gaines' emotional congressional testimony in the transgender athlete debate.

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ELISABETH HASSELBECK: What we need to be asking ourselves is, as a society, are we trying to create systems that create less safety and fewer opportunities for biological females in 2023 and beyond than we had for women 25 years ago? … We certainly, as a society, should have that as a priority, and I think that's where we're trending. We're looking at the results of races, we're looking at the results of swim meets. We're looking at lawsuits that are happening right now in Connecticut. And we need to be evaluating what is most safe as a society for biological females in sports, because this will trend toward contact sports. … Specifically for the men, I do feel a calling on men to protect women. And I do believe that we need to be considering safety above all else, but not without kindness. I have a compassionate heart for those who are struggling in their bodies, but I do not believe that biological males and biological females competing on the same field or being in the same locker room creates a safer opportunity for biological females. … And so I think we need to just as a society, think about holistically what actions can be taken so that everyone can just be safe. That's what we want.

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Gaines challenged Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Wednesday after he accused Republicans of promoting "hateful rhetoric" by questioning the rights of transgender youth.

The former college championship swimmer was on Capitol Hill as a witness for the Senate's hearing on LGBTQ civil rights, where Durbin said lawmakers need to be careful when talking about this issue.

"At this point, I'd like to remind our colleagues, our children are listening, and they are in danger," Durbin said. "In fact, today, transgender youth are among the most at risk of homelessness, depression and death by suicide. So, when these young people who are already struggling hear politicians amplify hateful rhetoric that denies their very existence, what message does it send?"

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Later in the hearing, Gaines pushed back and told Durbin he needs to think about biological women and girls who she said are at a disadvantage competing against trans people.

"Sen. Durbin, in your opening statement, you had mentioned this rhetoric," she said. "You had mentioned that, what message does it send to trans individuals? And my comeback to that is, what message does this send to women, to young girls, who are denied of these opportunities?"

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.