This week the House of Representatives is debating H.R. 734, the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023.” The measure would make it a violation of Title IX to “allow individuals of the male sex to participate in programs or activities that are designated for women or girls.”
The Protection Act has received praise from numerous groups wanting to protect girls and women’s sports. H.R. 734 only applies to athletic programs or activities, and it states:
For the purposes of this subsection [of Title IX], sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
On April 17, the White House released a statement opposing passage of the Protection Act, saying, “If the President were presented with H.R. 734, he would veto it.”
The President embraces the false gender ideology which preaches “gender identity” is real and trumps a person’s sex:
H.R. 734 would deny access to sports for many families by establishing an absolute ban on transgender students – even those as young as elementary schoolers – playing on a team consistent with their gender identity. …
As a national ban that does not account for competitiveness or grade level, H.R. 734 targets people for who they are and therefore is discriminatory. Politicians should not dictate a one-size-fits-all requirement that forces coaches to remove kids from their teams.
But this is not who they are. No one is transgender. It is not a medical diagnosis, much less an objective, human identity.
Title IX, which was passed in 1972, bans sex discrimination in educational opportunities, including sports. But it never defined what “sex” was.
At the time, of course, everyone knew it meant being male or female, the two types of humans.
But times have changed. The rise of “gender ideology,” along with an ever-growing number of people identifying as something other than their biological sex, has led to numerous incursions of males into girls and women’s sports and sex-segregated, private spaces.
In its statement, the White House says that safeguarding girls and women puts “transgender youth” at greater risk for mental health issues and suicide:
At a time when transgender youth already face a nationwide mental health crisis, with half of transgender youth in a recent survey saying they have seriously considered suicide, a national law that further stigmatizes these children is completely unnecessary, hurts families and students, and would only put students at greater risk.
Writing over at City Journal, Leor Sapir, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute who has extensively researched transgender issues, calls this language about suicidality “reckless and irresponsible”:
This politically potent “affirm or suicide” narrative has been marshalled at nearly every opportunity in public debates over pediatric gender medicine. It enjoys the endorsement of top-ranking officials in the Biden administration.
Sapir writes that such extreme language violates “well-recognized, research-based guidelines on how to talk responsibly about suicide.” He points to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which warns against: “Presenting simplistic explanations for suicide.”
The CDC continues:
Suicide is never the result of a single factor or event, but rather results from a complex interaction of many factors and usually involves a history of psychosocial problems.
Organizations supporting girl- and women-only sports have applauded the bill. Swimmer Riley Gaines, spokeswoman at Independent Women’s Forum and 12x All-American swimmer, released a statement that says:
Equal opportunity, privacy, and safety for women in sports shouldn’t be controversial. The women who once advocated for Title IX should be outraged as this goes against everything they fought for. Female athletes of all ages, levels, and sports deserve better.
The Family Policy Alliance also encouraged concerned citizens to take action and contact their member of Congress, urging them to vote for the measure, saying:
H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, will go a long way to restore women’s chances at a fair competition by enforcing the Title IX provisions that protect women and girls from discrimination and physical harm in athletics.
Related articles and resources:
Focus on the Family: Transgender Resources
Members of Congress Introduce Legislation to Save Girls Sports
