Representative Greg Steube, Republican of Florida, speaks during a news conference following the passage of his Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act in the House of Representatives.
Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images
The House of Representatives voted 218 to 206 on Tuesday to pass a bill that would unilaterally ban trans women from participating in women’s sports competitions. The votes were almost split along party lines, but two Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, both of Texas, voted for the bill.
Sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, the legislation dubbed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Actis Congress’ latest attempt to keep transgender women off women’s sports teams and builds on efforts by states to restrict transgender students’ participation in sports that match their gender identity. Last Congress, Steube’s identical legislation passed the House but failed to advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Now the Republicans hold the majority in both the House and Senate, making it far more likely that this iteration will be more successful. In almost half the country, trans women are prohibited to play women’s sports in K-12 or higher education, but the legislation would extend these bans nationwide.
Passing the bill was a top priority for House Republican leaders, who included it in a list of 12 legislative textsn will be considered first when the new session of Congress kicks off early this month. Its prominence appears to indicate that Republican leaders will prioritize rolling back or restricting the rights of transgender people, whom Republicans have often placed at the center of a culture war.
Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump have criticized the Biden administration. effort to modify Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to prevent blanket bans that prohibit transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. Last month, the Biden administration scrapped this proposal.
Under the bill, institutions that receive federal funding would be prohibited from allowing “any male person to participate in any athletic program or activity intended for women or girls.” It defines sex as being based on “a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” but does not explain how an institution would say it. The bill does not prevent trans men from playing on men’s teams.
Anti-trans activists argue that allowing individuals assigned male at birth to play on women’s sports teams puts cis female athletes at risk of being injured by athletes who are naturally more powerful due to their physiques. There is little research into whether this is true; however, the few studies that exist did not support the idea that trans women retain a significant advantage over athletes assigned female at birth.
Supporters of the legislation, including some cis female athletes, like Riley Gaines, who have competed alongside and against trans athletes at the collegiate level, also argue that trans women are taking up spots on women’s teams, going against of Title IX’s promise of equal opportunity, and that it is uncomfortable for cisgender female athletes to share close spaces, such as locker rooms, with individuals assigned male at birth.
Rep. Tim Walberg, the Michigan Republican who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, echoed those sentiments in his argument on the House floor Tuesday.
“Mr. President, excluding girls from sports teams to make way for a biological male takes away opportunities for these girls,” he said. “That means fewer college scholarships and fewer opportunities for girls It also makes them second-class citizens in their own sports and puts their safety at risk.
Some people who agree that trans women should not play on women’s teams say they largely support transgender people, but consider it unfair for them to hold a spot on women’s teams. But Steube took a different approach. When he announced the bill earlier this month, he cited President-elect Donald Trump’s promise that “under the Trump Administration, it will be the official policy of the United States Government that it will not There are only two genders: man and woman.
Meanwhile, Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates argue that trans women should have the opportunity to play sports – which have been shown to improve youth outcomes and mental health at all levels – within the community. team that corresponds to their gender.
“Transgender students, like all students, deserve the same opportunity as their peers to learn teamwork, find belonging and become fulfilled adults through sports,” said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat of Oregon, in the House. “Childhood and adolescence are important times for growth and development, and sports help students adopt healthy habits and develop strong social and emotional skills. Sports provide meaningful opportunities for children to feel confident and learn valuable life lessons about teamwork, leadership and communication. Teams give kids a place to make friends and build relationships.
Bonamici and other Democrats dubbed the bill the “Child Predator Empowerment Act” and argued it would not make schools safer for students. In fact, she said the bill’s vague language about what defines male could lead to invasive exams.
“There is no way this so-called protection bill can be implemented without opening the door to harassment and privacy violations. This opens the door to inspecting, not protecting, women and girls in sport,” she said. “Will students have to take exams to prove they are a girl? We are already seeing examples of harassment and questioning of girls who do not conform to stereotypical female roles; will they be subject to requests for medical examinations and private information? It is intrusive, offensive and unacceptable, especially from a party of limited government.”