The U.S. House of Representatives approved a billThursday that would prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in school sports that are for women or girls.
Schools that receive government Title IX funds would be subject to the prohibition. That includes universities participating in the NCAA, which until last year had broad allowances for transgender participation. Last year, the NCAA changed its policy as it now stipulates that transgender women must be tested for testosterone levels. The amount of testosterone allowed now varies based on the sport.
H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, passed by a 219–203 margin, with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats voting in opposition.
The bill's passage will likely stall in the Senate.
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The Biden administrationhas also attempted to fight off legislation. The Department of Education issued a rule making it a Title IX violation if schools implement categorical bans of transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
Title IX is the landmark 1972 law that sought to end gender discrimination in schools. One of its biggest impacts was the increase of women's and girls' athletics in colleges and high schools.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., protested President Biden's proposed rule change. He was the sponsor behind H.R. 734.
"During the entire history of mankind, you were either male or female until the last few years. In worship to the trans movement, the Biden administration has moved at warp speed to infiltrate every aspect of the federal government with trans speak," Steube said. "Congress, in 1972, created Title IX to protect women's sports. To enable women to have an equal playing field in athletics. And in worship to their trans idols, the administration wants to flip that on its head. It's insane. Title IX was created for women's sports and now the left wants to kill it."
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, a group that advocates for LGBTQ rights, decried the vote.
"Legislators who voted today in favor of banning transgender girls from participating in school sports should be ashamed of themselves," she said in a statement. "Right now, gun violence is the No. 1 cause of death to American children, yet extremist lawmakers ignore this reality to push bills that further endanger and isolate LGBTQ youth who just want to be themselves and play with their friends."
