A bill banning transgender athletes in K12 girls’ sports was approved by House Republicans Thursday despite there being zero chance the measure will become law. The proposal, which every Democrat voted against, comes about a month after the GOP passed a similarly ill-fated National Parents Bill of Rights that would impose additional regulations on school districts.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is a move to “save women’s sports,” says the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Staube of Florida. The bill, which is pretty much certain to flounder in the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate, sought to require schools to abide by the Title IX recognition of a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth in determining eligibility for athletics programs.
“Parents do not want biological men in locker rooms with their daughters, nor do they believe its equitable that a male can compete with women in female athletics,” Staube said in a statement. “That is the whole purpose behind the creation of Title IX.”
The House GOP is following in the footsteps of a large number of state legislatures that have pushed similar bans, with the big difference being that those measures are now law. Several states have also enacted new restrictions that prevent transgender students from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
President Joe Biden has said he would veto any bans on transgender athletes. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education proposed updated Title IX regulations that would bar schools from imposing wholesale restrictions on what sports transgender athletes can play. The Title IX proposal would allow schools to set specific policies—based on sport, grade and level of competition—to ensure fairness and safety.
“Elementary school students would generally be able to participate on school sports teams consistent with their gender identity where considerations may be different for competitive high school and college teams,” the department explained.
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