House Republicans passed a bill on Thursday that would ban transgender athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is male from competing on girls or women’s sports teams at federally supported schools and colleges.
However, the legislation is unlikely to make it past the Democrat-controlled Senate. Plus, the White House has already said President Joe Biden would veto it.
The bill, approved in the House of Representatives by a 219-203 party-line vote, would change Title IX to prevent recipients of federal funds from permitting a person “whose sex is male” from competing in programs designated for women or girls. Sex is defined in the legislation as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
The bill is sponsored by Greg Steube, a Florida Republican who discussed Emma Weyant‘s runner-up finish behind trans swimmer Lia Thomas in the 500-yard freestyle at last year’s NCAA Championships. Weyant is a resident of Steube’s district.
Supporters such as Steube say the legislation is needed to maintain competitive fairness for female athletes while opponents condemned the vote as bullying kids for political points. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 450 bills threatening trans rights have been introduced at the state level.
Related:
- FINA (now World Aquatics) creates “open” category for trans women
- Lia Thomas speaks for the first time since NCAAs, says she’s not done competing
Democrats argued that children, regardless of gender identity, deserve the chance to be a part of a team and that restricting them from doing so sends the wrong message. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who has a trans daughter, noted that three-quarters of trans students reported having experience harassment or discrimination at school, and many have considered suicide. Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat, pointed to Utah, where Republican governor Spencer Cox vetoed a bill banning transgender students from playing women’s sports, though the legislature overrode his veto. Cox cited in his veto the fact that there were only four transgender players out of 85,000 competing in Utah high school sports, including just one in girls’ sports.
“There’s your raging national problem,” Pocan said. “What’s the Republicans response to this nonexistent issue? Hurt kids for being kids by banning them from playing in school sports and even being as extreme as saying as all female athletes in their pre-teen years could be subject to personal bodily inspection by adults to prove they’re a girl.”
Earlier this month, the Biden administration proposed a policy that would prevent any school or college that receives federal funds from categorically banning trans students from playing on sports team consistent with their gender identity. Competitive teams at high schools and colleges could still add limits, but they would be discouraged for teams that don’t have tryouts or cuts. The proposal still must undergo a lengthy review process before approval.
If this was being done for any reason apart from bigotry, we’d see people working on solutions that can satisfy all parties. Unfortunately, what we are seeing is people like Ms Gaines, who really didn’t lose anything to a trans person, putting a target on the backs of trans people. There’s no offer of a solution that treats all with dignity and respect because bigots just can’t bring themselves to treat the “other” with dignity or respect. Do I know what the solution to the problem is? No, definitely not. I think there needs to be some more research and data about the effects of HRT on athletes because there really isn’t a ton of it out there.
Finally, when… Read more »
Intersex is a completely different and barely relevant issue, that’s not an argument for not banning trans athletes
The arguments used to ban transwomen from competing should be used just as forcefully to allow cisgendered women to compete, regardless of their horomone levels. Why aren’t the “protect women’s sports” folks not out there standing up for athletes like Semenya or Dutee Chand who are being punished for their bodies’ natural advantages?
Up and down votes here says it all.
I wonder why one would downvote wanting to come up with a solution where everyone is treated with respect and dignity…
What’s amazing to me is that Republicans are making attacking LBGTQ rights one of their major policy priorities at the national and state level. Why do LGBTQ people scare them so much?
Meanwhile gun violence is off the charts (several shootings this week of kids who were just in the wrong place) and Republicans not only don’t want to do ANYTHING about it, they think the answer is more guns.
Riley Gaines is getting used so hard. I am embarrassed of her and for her. This will not age well.
No amount of dismissing women will validate you and the lies you tell yourself.
What is mind blowing is that feminists fought for these rights just to come to this?
The British Swimming recently did very wisely – now GB Swimming will have 2 categories-classes of competitive swimmers: “Women” (biological females) and “Open” – where all the rest may compete. Everybody have a chance to race and compete. Bravo!!!
Sigh. It is so depressing to me that somehow people are convinced that trans women competing in sports with cis women is some kind of crisis. The entire anti-trans-participation brigade is clinging to the same 1 or two examples of trans athletes making a splash in high stakes athletics because they’re the only ones they have. Meanwhile the thousands of trans athletes just trying to live normal lives and compete in lowkey youth sports and summer camps and club teams have to deal with people scrutinizing their existence.
Like jeez Lia Thomas, who is just a single person(!!), went from being a 4:18 to 4:34 instead of a 4:43 (roughly equivalent ranking for women as 4:18) and suddenly the world… Read more »
Up/Down votes tells the whole story
It’s crazy to think that college students consider amount of certain hormones the only difference between woman and man. Give us a break and go back to your Physiology books.
i am sure this comment section will be very civil with no arguing whatsoever
Trans rights are human rights.