The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation that could lead to a ban on transgender students from competing in women’s sports.
The “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act” seeks to amend Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination, by redefining sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” per CBS News.
The bill earned unanimous support among House Republicans and won over two House Democrats, leading to a 218-206 vote, with one person voting present.
The bill must now pass the Senate. Though controlled by the GOP, Senate Republicans will need to convince several Democrats to join them if they wish to pass the bill, according to CNN.
What the bill could mean for women’s sports
In some places, HR28 might not affect much. Twenty-seven states already restrict transgender athlete participation in sports, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
Utah put a ban in place in 2022, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Though there is a national spotlight on the issue, the bill affects a small proportion of students at the college level — NCAA President Charlie Baker said they were aware of fewer than 10 transgender athletes during congressional testimony, per The Hill.
Instead, the bill seems to respond to high-profile cases like those of CeCé Telfer, a track and field competitor who made history in 2019 as the first NCAA transgender title-winner, per NBC News, and Lia Thomas, a transgender NCAA swimmer who won a national championship in 2022 before being banned from women’s sports by World Aquatics, per Reuters.
The bill’s passage garnered strong praise from supporters, according to Politico.
“Today, the House voted to uphold common sense again,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We voted to require all schools receiving federal funds to uphold the original meaning of Title IX and keep biological men out of women’s sports.”
“Kicking girls off sports teams to make way for biological males takes opportunities away from these girls ... (and) makes them second class citizens in their own sports and puts their safety at risk,” said House Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg, R-Mich.
Utah Congressman Burgess Owens spoke in support of the bill on the House floor. In a social media post, he expressed his support of the legislation.
“I’ve raised five daughters and watched them pour their hearts into the sports they love. What message are we sending when we allow men to dominate their competitions and steal their dreams? Men have no place in women’s sports. Period,” he said.
What the bill could mean for athletes
Critics shared similarly strong reactions. Some argued that the measure could expose girls to intrusive physical examinations, per CBS News.
“We’re already seeing examples of harassment and questioning of girls who may not conform to stereotypical feminine roles,” said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore..
Ilona Maher, an Olympic rugby player and recent “Dancing with the Stars” competitor, is one example. Maher told Women’s Health that she was bullied as a child for her “masculine” body type until she found a home in playing rugby.
“It’s just important for these girls to see me constantly out there showing that being big can be beautiful, and it doesn’t take away from your femininity in a way,” she said. “I want to be somebody out there (so girls) don’t feel like they need to change.”