National ban on transgender athletes in girls’ sports passed by U.S. House panel:
The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee early Thursday passed a bill on a party-line vote that would block transgender girls from competing in school sports consistent with their gender identity, a reflection of a broader push in multiple states to curb the rights of transgender student athletes.
The bill, H.R. 734, introduced by Rep. Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, would amend Title IX to require student athletes to compete in sports in accordance with “a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” with the bill’s language specifically targeting transgender girls.
The bill would also make it a Title IX violation for facilities that receive federal funding to allow transgender female athletes to compete in sports designated for women.
After a more than 16-hour markup that lasted from Wednesday morning into early Thursday, the legislation passed 25-17.
Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education program or activities that receive federal funding. It is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
This has become necessary because President Biden proposes to use an executive order to effectively re-write Title IX. His proposal, reportedly due in May, would allow “transgender” athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
In a related note, USA Powerlifting Minnesota (USAPL) just lost a Minnesota District Court ruling forcing them to allow “trans women” (men) in women’s powerlifting competitions. I am not familiar with Minnesota state law, so I do not know if the decision is legally correct. (I will note that the decision uses gender identity terminology throughout, most of which is scientifically invalid, and that it appears that Minnesota law itself misdefines “sexual orientation” to include transgenderism or gender dysphoria.) The decision also cites Bostock, which again specifically enjoins courts from using the ruling outside any area other than employment. From the ruling:
USAPL, after denying Cooper’s participation, expended considerable effort seeking to justify its actions by seeking out expert opinion that transgender women would have an inherent and immutable strength advantage. The record is completely devoid of any effort USAPL may have made to even understand, much less address, the physical or psychological harms of exclusion or the benefits of inclusion.
And thus the rights of one biological man trump the rights of all women.