Transgender teen quits Irish dance competition after threats from Florida Republicans

After a coordinated campaign by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, two Republican members of Congress and Concerned Women for America, a transgender teenage girl withdrew from an Irish dance competition in Orlando, The Sentinel reported.

On June 24, U.S. Reps. Randy Fine and Greg Steube sent a letter to An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, or CLRG, the Dublin-based governing body for Irish dance, and the Irish Dance Teachers’ Association of North America, or IDTANA, ahead of the North American Irish Dance Championships, which began July 2. “Biological males do not belong in girls’ dance,” Fine wrote in a social media post sharing the letter. “Florida law is clear: girls’ categories are for biological females.”

Related: Florida congressmen target transgender girl competing in Irish dance championship

Uthmeier also threatened legal action against the dance organizations in a June 26 letter, claiming that their policy allowing dancers to compete in divisions corresponding with their gender identity could violate Florida law. Uthmeier became involved after Maggie McKneely, a Concerned Women for America director and former competitive Irish dancer, contacted his office to complain about what she described as “a boy competing as a girl.”

“Your policy of forcing women to compete against biological men who identify as women in your women’s categories deprives women of the full and equal enjoyment of fair competition,” wrote Uthmeier. “My office will not tolerate these sorts of policies, and will take all necessary steps to safeguard the rights and interests of Florida’s female competitors.”

Displaying further cruelty and misgendering language toward the youth, the conservative Christian organization then gleefully posted a story after the girl's withdrawal from the competition titled "Boy Backs Out of Girls’ Irish Dance Competition."

Related: Right-Wing Media Attacks Trans Girl For Winning Irish Dance Competition

McKneely said the group was grateful that Uthmeier had intervened and pleased that the dancer ultimately decided not to compete. “It’s a win because the girls didn’t have to compete against a boy in their category, and whether he withdrew because of the threat of legal action against the organizations or because of the media attention, it’s still good he didn’t compete,” she said.

Neither IDTANA nor CLRG has issued a public statement about the latest controversy. Both organizations, however, have previously defended policies allowing dancers to compete in divisions that align with their gender identity.

The dispute was not the first confrontation between Concerned Women for America and Irish dance officials over transgender inclusion. After conservative backlash in 2023, when a transgender girl won a competition, IDTANA regional director P.J. McCafferty said allowing transgender dancers was an “established precedent.”

“I am writing this post to remind everyone that we teach all the dancers,” McCafferty wrote. “We advocate for every one of our dancers. We do our very best to be fair to everyone. You are expected to respect all the dancers.”