Virginia delegate files to protect women's sports
A Virginia bill to prevent transgender athletes from competing as their ‘gender identity’ was filed for the 2023 session.
Delegate Karen Greenhalgh told Campus Reform "the bill is about fairness."
A Virginia bill to prevent transgender athletes from competing as their ‘gender identity’ was filed for the 2023 session.
House Bill 1387 was introduced by Delegate Karen Greenhalgh to require all K-12 and collegiate athletes compete according to biological sex.
Eligible students would be required to submit an eligibility form signed by a medical professional confirming the students’ sex.
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“This bill is about fairness — and preserving women’s sports,” Greenhalgh told Campus Reform. “Women have fought for equal rights in sports for decades, and have made great strides thanks to measures like Title IX.”
“The goal is to prevent young women from being overshadowed by biological males, and thus being discouraged from competing at all,” she added.
The bill “prohibits any such team or sport that is expressly designated for females, women, or girls from being open to students whose biological sex is male,” its summary reads.
It further prohibits public schools from competing against a team that does not comply with the set standards and protects students who report violations of the bill.
[RELATED: REPORT: Biological men do not belong in womens’ sports]
The Virginia General Assembly convenes on Jan. 11. It joins a slew of other state houses which have considered barring men from competing in women’s sports.
Texas State Representative Valoree Swanson also filed a bill to protect women’s sports, making it a legislative priority for the upcoming term.
Campus Reform contacted every organization listed for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
