A Santa Fe venue’s sudden cancellation of a girls’ sports celebration exposes the intolerance of the left as organizers secure a new location and plan legal action against those who attempted to silence them.
Key Takeaways
- The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute abruptly canceled the Independent Women’s Forum’s Title IX celebration, falsely labeling it a “partisan political event”
- Organizers quickly secured a new venue at the Inn and Spa at Loretto to ensure the event honoring female athletes will proceed as planned
- Education Secretary Linda McMahon will headline the non-partisan celebration marking the 53rd anniversary of Title IX
- The Independent Women’s Forum plans to sue the original venue for breach of contract and First Amendment violations
- The cancellation followed a news report highlighting New Mexico’s stance on transgender rights, revealing the venue’s true political motivations
Venue Cancels Girls’ Sports Celebration Over Political Bias
The Independent Women’s Forum faced an unexpected obstacle when the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute unilaterally canceled their “Her Game. Her Legacy.” event celebrating girls’ sports and the anniversary of Title IX. The market institute publicly declared their opposition to the event on social media, claiming it was “partisan” despite having signed a nine-page contract with the women’s organization. Adding insult to injury, organizers weren’t even directly informed of the cancellation but instead discovered it through the venue’s Facebook post.
“As much as we support free speech, we want to make it clear that SFFMI is in disagreement with the message and intent of this particular event,” said Santa Fe Farmers‘ Market Institute.
The timing of the cancellation is particularly suspicious, coming shortly after a news report highlighting New Mexico’s stance on transgender rights. The venue’s stated mission of promoting “equity” and “kindness” apparently doesn’t extend to organizations celebrating female athletes and their accomplishments under Title IX. This hypocritical stance exposes how leftist organizations selectively apply their principles when faced with viewpoints that don’t align with their agenda.
Non-Partisan Celebration Finds New Home
Despite the setback, the Independent Women’s Forum refused to be silenced. They quickly secured an alternative venue at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, thanks to the hotel’s general manager who recognized the importance of the celebration. The event will proceed as originally planned, featuring keynote speaker Education Secretary Linda McMahon along with various female athletes sharing their stories and celebrating the 53rd anniversary of Title IX’s implementation.
“This is not a rally. This is not any type of political event. It’s a non-partisan, non-political celebration,” said Beth Parlato.
The organization had already invested significant resources into the event, including staff, entertainment, and marketing materials. The celebration will kick off a bus tour across New Mexico, highlighting the importance of Title IX protections for female athletes. The venue change demonstrates the resilience of conservative organizations in the face of discriminatory treatment, showing that attempts to silence important conversations about women’s sports will ultimately fail.
Legal Action Planned Against Discriminatory Cancellation
The Independent Women’s Forum isn’t simply accepting this discrimination as the cost of doing business. They plan to pursue legal action against the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute for breach of contract and violation of their First Amendment rights. The venue’s explicit admission that they disagreed with the message of the event provides clear evidence of viewpoint discrimination, strengthening the legal case against them.
“They’re not just canceling our event. They are canceling little girls. They are betraying girls and women, female athletes. They’re canceling all of that,” said Victory Coley.
“We had a contract. It is a nine-page contract, a legal and binding contract, and it’s pretty solid. They don’t agree with their message, so they have canceled us. And it’s illegal. So in our opinion, our legal opinion, they have breached the contract. They have discriminated against Independent Women. And they have violated our First Amendment rights by acknowledging that they don’t agree with their message, so they’re not allowing us on their property. So we will file lawsuits,” said Beth Parlato.
This incident highlights a growing pattern across the country where venues and service providers attempt to shut down events and organizations that don’t align with progressive ideology. By standing firm and pursuing legal remedies, the Independent Women’s Forum is not only ensuring their event takes place but also fighting back against the broader trend of discrimination against conservative viewpoints in the public square.
