The U.S. House passed legislation on Thursday banning trans athletes from competing in women’s sports in order to protect the rights of female athletes. According to CBN News, the House voted along party lines with Republicans saying the legislation is about fairness in that it protects women and girls from being forced to unfairly compete against biological males.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) praised the legislation saying, “They (women and girls) strived for excellence and they achieved it and they learn the value of teamwork and hard work…But because they were forced to compete against biological men, they lost out on opportunities that they deserved.”
The bill, which is called the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” would amend Title IX to recognize a person’s gender as the sex they have at birth. The bill will also threaten to remove funding to any federally funded school or college that allows a transgender athlete to compete on a women’s team.
Despite its aim to protect women in sports, Democrats appear annoyed that the bill is interfering with their political agenda. They are trying to argue that it “ostracizes a vulnerable group for political gain” and say that the bill is not supportive of all American children.
Still, polling shows that most Americans agree with the purpose of the legislation. According to CBN News, “The Washington Post and University of Maryland found last year that 55 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s high school sports, and 58 percent oppose it at the collegiate and professional levels.” At least 20 states have already passed similar legislation to protect the women and girls in their states from kindergarten through high school or college.
Although the bill passed the GOP-controlled House, it is not expected to pass the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate. The Biden administration is also sticking to their plan to ensure that biological males can continue to compete against biological women in women’s sports. Americans have less than 30 days to express their opinions regarding this legislation and the protection of women in women’s sports.