


The venue for a Santa Fe event celebrating Title IX and girls’ sports canceled at the last minute, accusing organizers of misrepresenting what they claimed was a “partisan political event” and leaving them scrambling.
On Sunday, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute canceled Independent Women’s Forum’s “Her Game. Her Legacy.” event, which was scheduled to take place at the venue about 24 hours later.
The venue posted on Facebook that the event’s description as a “Celebration for Athletes and Families” was “fundamentally misleading as the event described today in media reports is a partisan political event.”
The venue also said it would be “unable to accommodate” the event’s “levels of security” and press conference, claiming Independent Women’s Forum did not disclose these requirements.
“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,” the venue said.
The venue’s abrupt cancelation came after a New Mexico news outlet published a story about the women’s sports event that also said New Mexico has been “doubling down on protecting transgender rights.”
Independent Women’s Forum said they had no idea their event was canceled until they saw the venue’s Facebook post.
The group plans to sue the venue.
“This is not a rally. This is not any type of political event. It’s a non-partisan, non-political celebration,” Beth Parlato, senior legal advisor at Independent Women’s Law Center told The Daily Wire.
“We had a contract. It is a nine-page contract, a legal and binding contract, and it’s pretty solid,” she said. “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.”
“Our intention is to serve them with a lawsuit because we’re not letting them get away with it. We did not do all of this to get canceled by a small group of people who chooses not to support girls. So it’s unconscionable what they’re doing,” Parlato said.
The group had brought a massive amount of resources to Santa Fe for the event including more than 20 staff, a pink carpet for athletes to walk down, face painters and bounce houses for children, and much more.
Meanwhile, they also had their registered speakers and guests and had been marketing the event heavily for about two weeks, said Victory Coley, the group’s vice president of communications.
“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,” Coley said.
However, thanks to the general manager of the hotel where Independent Women’s Forum staff was staying, the event now has a new venue and is still full speed ahead.
“He saw us wandering around the lobby, all stressed out with our laptops open, not knowing what we’re going to do. And he said, ‘What can I do to help?'” Coley said.
The event is still scheduled for Monday at 1pm but will now be held at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, less than a mile from the original venue.
Monday is the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools receiving federal funding.
The event also kicks off a bus tour celebrating women’s sports that will visit all 33 New Mexico counties.
Speakers for the event will include Education Secretary Linda McMahon, New Mexico parents, and also female athletes and coaches who have been outspoken in their advocacy for girls’ sports such as Payton McNabb, who was injured by a trans-identifying player and suffered a traumatic brain injury, and Kim Russell, former head coach of the women’s lacrosse team at Oberlin College.
The free family-friendly event will also include games, music, food, and female athletes will still be able to walk down their pink carpet.
The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute says its mission includes “equity” and “kindness.”
“We demonstrate KINDNESS through our commitment to respectful social interactions with each other and with visitors to the Market,” the Institute says on its website.