Protection of Women’s Sports Act passes House

The House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 734) on Thursday, prohibiting school athletic departments from allowing biological males “to participate in programs that are for women and girls.”

Passing along partisan lines with 219 Republican votes, the act clarifies the interpretation of Title IX with respect to sports to prevent biological males from participating in female-designated competitions and programs in K-12 and higher education.

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“Under this bill, sex is based on an individual’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” the bill summary reads.

Representative Greg Steube (FL—R) introduced the legislation to provide “women and girls a fair playing field in sports by ensuring that school athletics comply with the Title IX recognition” of biological sex, according to a press release from his office.

“The Left’s fervent support of the radical trans agenda has come at the expense of women’s rights across the country. 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. That is the whole purpose behind the creation of Title IX. Yet the Left wants to destroy Title IX by allowing biological men to erase women’s sports,” Steube stated.

Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Dr. Virginia Foxx, said yesterday that it is “a simple fact” that the far left is endangering women through sports.

”This legislation is the first step towards restoring integrity and fairness in women’s sports. The strides of women in sports should never be sacrificed to appease the radical woke mobs on the left.” - @virginiafoxx pic.twitter.com/1tsZNySaXm

— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) April 20, 2023

“The perverse biological fantasies of the Left are dangerous – they’re a direct threat to women’s sports and the countless female athletes across our country,” Foxx tweeted.

The White House on Monday issued a statement calling H.R. 734 discriminatory because it “targets people for who they are,” promising to veto the legislation if presented to President Biden should it be passed in the Senate.

“Politicians should not dictate a one-size-fits-all requirement that forces coaches to remove kids from their teams,” the White House statement reads.

Foxx responded to their line of reasoning on the House floor prior to the passage of the legislation in her chamber.

“The Democrats have gone to great lengths to call this bill extreme. The Democrats have gone to great lengths, being almost hysterical, to call this bill discriminatory. It is neither of those things. It is a one-page bill … that strengthens existing protections for women, ensures a level playing field for female athletes, and protects women and girls from the Biden Administration’s radical regulatory scheme,” Foxx argued.

The Democrat vote against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, including Biden’s threat to veto it, is a vote against continuing to give women and girls equal opportunity to participate and compete in athletics.

Watch @virginiafoxx stand up for women’s rights: pic.twitter.com/NajQVq9sRs

— House Committee on Education & the Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) April 19, 2023

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has publicly supported H.R. 734 and its Senate comparable legislation, S. 613, contending that the legislation’s purpose fits with the Catholic definition of human dignity.

“Youth who experience gender identity discordance should be able to participate in sports, and any harassment against these young people is unequivocally wrong …. Congress would not deny such youth the ability to play sports, but would simply be protecting women and girls and preserving their hard-won opportunities,” the USCCB stated according to OSV News.

H.R. 734 stipulates that biological males can participate in certain female sports programs so long as their participation does not result in the loss of opportunity, including spots on the team or scholarships, for biological females.

“Whether it’s on the field, court, track, or in the pool: House Republicans have shown we stand on the side of fairness for female athletes,” Steube declared.

Campus Reform has contacted all relevant parties with request for comment, and this article will be updated accordingly.

Follow Gabrielle M. Etzel on Twitter.