House passes bill that would restrict transgender athletes from participating in women's sports
The measure, which would apply from preschool through high school seniors, received 218 votes in favor and 206 against.
The US Capitol in Washington, DC.
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday seeking to ban transgender students from participating in women's sports from early preschool to the high school senior level.
The measure, known as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, received 218 votes in favor and 206 against. Among the support, two votes from Texas Democratic legislators stand out: Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar. On the other hand, Representative Don Davis, Democrat from North Carolina, abstained from taking a definitive position and voted "present."
Definition of sex and women's sports activities
The proposal defines sex as an exclusive criterion of a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth. According to this definition, female sporting activities will be reserved exclusively for women whose sex assigned at birth is female.
Purpose of the proposal
The bill's main sponsor, Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida, explained that the intent of the law is to ensure fairness in women's sports and preserve the original spirit of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination.
For his part, Republican Representative Rudy Yakym of Indiana expressed that men should not compete in women's sports, underlining the need to protect women and girls who play sports by ensuring that they are not outclassed by men in competition.
The bill establishes that the birth certificate will be the only valid document to determine the eligibility of students in female sports, ruling out the need for physical or genital examinations.
Legislative progress
The proposal was introduced in the second week of the 119th Congress, reflecting the priority Republicans have placed on the issue. Although the initiative's future in the Senate is uncertain, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama is leading efforts to advance its discussion. Yakym expressed confidence that the bill will pass in the upper chamber, stressing that it is a concern clearly expressed by the American people during the election cycle.
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