Championing Women’s Safety Payton McNabb on Why Men Should Stay Out of Women’s Sports

In this week's episode, Jennifer welcomes Payton McNabb, a determined advocate for the elimination of biological males participating in women's sports and the protection and fairness of girls’ and women’s sports. Payton is a former three-sport high school athlete from rural North Carolina whose life changed abruptly, due to existing state policy at the time, after she suffered a traumatic brain injury during a volleyball game against a male player who spiked the volleyball onto Payton's head. Unable to continue athletic competition, Payton has since dedicated herself to speaking out for the protection of girls in sports, serving on the Stand for Women Advisory Board with the Independent Women’s Forum, and testifying across several states to inspire legislative changes.

Jennifer and Payton delve deeply into the controversial and headline-making topic of transgender participation in girls’ sports, raising urgent questions about safety, fairness, and the impact of policy on real lives. Payton reveals the physical and emotional aftermath of her injury—concussion, brain bleed, permanent whiplash, and PTSD—and recalls the lack of empathy shown by the opposing team, school administrators, and even the player involved. The conversation exposes how the egregious legislation once prioritized inclusion transgendered women (biological males) at the direct expense of the safety of all female athletes, and how Payton’s testimony contributed to the law changing in North Carolina. Payton emphasizes that stories like hers, often dismissed as rare, affect not just individual players but entire communities and families. She courageously shares her vision for a future where girls can compete without fear, calling for truth, common sense, and genuine compassion in the ongoing debate over the future of women’s sports.

“The protections of this one man overrode the protections of every girl and every parent.”

- Payton McNabb

This week on Political Contessa:

• Payton McNabb’s journey from promising athlete to national advocate
• The sports injury that ended her volleyball career and changed her life
• Navigating the aftermath: medical diagnoses, PTSD, and the emotional toll
• North Carolina’s previous policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports and how that changed
• How teams, communities, and families are impacted by “just one” such injury
• The lack of accountability and empathy from the schools and the athlete who caused her injury
• Why Payton feels called to share her truth and stand up for other girls
• Payton’s hope for a safer, fairer future for girls’ and women’s sports

Connect with Payton McNabb and Resources Mentioned:

• Independent Women's Forum

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