Heidi Chadbourne lives in Manchester.

If Republicans gain a majority in upcoming Maine elections, I guess it’s back to the Middle Ages for women. In case you missed it, a large chunk of the older male Republican leaders of this state walked out of Gov. Mills’ State of the State address, just when she started talking about protecting the health of girls and women.

Don’t they have daughters and want them to succeed in life? Re: sports, why can’t transgender students participate in individual sports (swimming, track, skiing) only?

There are usually family changing rooms or they can arrive at practices and contests with their uniform under their outer wear. I hear about the occasional woman on intermural football or basketball teams. This isn’t good for their safety in such contact sports. As we learn more in studying concussions, much damage is revealed in the brain later in life.

In the 1990s after work, there were many local co-ed softball teams. We would compete against each other, then go grab some pizza. It was great for building morale, until two female pitchers took line drives to the face, hit by men. The games where dropped. There will always be athletes bigger or smaller than oneself. When performance records are set by more talented or muscled athletes, it gives one a goal to strive for.

Today, a group of us women friends were discussing women’s sports. There were many comments about field hockey, where girls dress in scanty skirts, even if the weather is cold. One of the ladies said she would discuss this with the Maine Principals’ Association, which governs such things. It’s time that some antiquated traditions in this state be updated, even if it means that attendance suffers. Indeed, some high schools already allow players to wear leggings.

Back to Gov. Mills’ speech. We are called to love one another. This can take many forms. It is difficult to see bipartisan rudeness take place in that Augusta chamber. We want our democracy to succeed, no, thrive, more than ever. Why did those poker-faced Republicans attend her speech in the first place? Leaving almost at the end was cowardly. OK, Gov. Mills garnered some sound bites for her upcoming senatorial campaign. Isn’t she entitled? Which of those Republicans wouldn’t have jumped at the same opportunity? It’s called a bully pulpit, men.

Finally, I heard on the radio that, on the average, women visit doctors four times more than men. This can arguably be for many reasons. If women were better educated about their bodies and mental states, were able to avoid premature sex and abuse by men who don’t value them, they might be able to curtail high numbers of doctor visits.

Our society is messed up. Are we part of the problem with foul-mouthed comments, or part of kindly, new, thoughtful, educating solutions? I’ve heard it said that people will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

I don’t feel that I want to be a second-class citizen. I understand the anger of my “sisters,” and I don’t plan to let what I saw on TV during Gov. Mills’ speech ruin my day. There are suitable and accepted methods to repair such problems. If I feel this way, I can only imagine what our immigrant women neighbors are feeling.