House passes bill banning trans athletes from women’s sports

(Screenshot from C-SPAN)

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Jan. 14 to pass legislation targeting young transgender women and girls, in an attempt to bar them from participating in school athletic programs. Transgender women in sports were a major social issue and talking point for Republicans that aided their victory during the 2024 election cycle.

The proposed bill would prohibit the use of federal funding for K-12 programs that allowed transgender student-athletes to participate on women’s sports teams. It was approved on a vote of 218 to 206, nearly entirely along party lines.

In a press release, representatives from the Human Rights Campaign spoke out against the ban and the potential harm it may inflict on young transgender students.

HRC notes that blanket bans like this one can have massive effects on all girls, despite targeting transgender youth. The organization cited an instance in 2021, just five days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an anti-transgender sports ban when a cisgender student faced harassment at a lacrosse game because she had short hair. They similarly referenced an instance in early 2024 when a Utah state school board member falsely implied a girl on a local basketball team was transgender through a social media post.

“We all want sports to be fair, students to be safe, and young people to have the opportunity to participate alongside their peers,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “But this kind of blanket ban deprives kids of those things.”

Robinson says that she recognizes that sports are a quintessential outlet for young people, and believes that all kids should be able to freely participate without fear of ridicule or harassment.

“This bill would expose young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who don’t fit a narrow view of how they’re supposed to dress or look,” said Robinson. “It could even expose children to invasive, inappropriate questions and examinations.”

HRC stressed that participating in youth athletics provides young people with vital benefits to their health and overall well-being. The organization noted that students who participate in youth sports typically have lower stress levels, lower rates of anxiety and depression and higher self-esteem and confidence. These students also often experience improved bone health and reduced risk of cancer and diabetes.

The organization believes transgender participation in youth sports is not only fair but vital to a community of young people that often faces higher risks of anxiety, depression and bullying as compared to their peers.

HRC also views the subject of this legislation as a non-issue, as NCAA President Charlie Baker said that there are less than 10 transgender athletes currently participating in college sports. The group also cited the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, and his statement made in 2022 when vetoing a transgender youth in sports ban, which was later overturned by the state’s legislature.

“Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few,” said Governor Cox in his veto statement. “I don’t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do, but I want them to live.”

The bill now heads to the Senate.

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