In a significant move reflecting the ongoing debates around gender and athletics, two House Democrats crossed party lines to join Republican lawmakers in supporting a controversial measure that seeks to restrict participation in girls’ school sports teams.
According to Fox News, The legislation, known as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, championed by Republican Representative Greg Steube from Florida, proposes amendments to federal law requiring student-athletes to compete in sports teams that correspond to their biological gender at birth.
During the vote, Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzales, both Democrats from Texas, stood out as the only members of their party supporting the bill, which ultimately passed with a narrow margin of 218 votes in favor to 206 against.
Notably, Representative Don Davis from North Carolina opted to vote “present,” indicating neither support nor opposition.
This decision is particularly intriguing given that all three representatives secured re-election by the slimmest of margins in districts that have exhibited a trend toward more Republican sentiments in recent years.
As the legislative discourse continues, Senate Republicans have already hinted at their intention to address this bill in the near future, indicating its potential for becoming a pivotal issue in the ongoing dialogue about gender equality in sports.
“An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that men don’t belong in women’s sports and that we must allow common sense to prevail,” Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, who introduced the bill, said during floor debate ahead of the vote.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 3% of high school students identify as transgender.
Recent polling indicates a notable lack of support for transgender athletes participating on sports teams that correspond with their gender identity, with about half of U.S. states imposing restrictions on such participation.
In 2023, House Republicans passed legislation concerning this issue with no support from Democratic representatives. Subsequently, the Senate, which was under Democratic control at the time, did not address the bill.
House Republicans have pledged to prioritize this issue again in the current legislative session following substantial campaign expenditures that depicted the matter as a threat to the participation of girls and women in sports.
A similar legislative proposal has been reintroduced in the Republican-controlled Senate.
During the floor debate, proponents of the bill contended that transgender athletes possess biological advantages that create an inequitable and unsafe environment for other female competitors.
In contrast, Democratic representatives opposed to the proposal expressed concerns regarding potential invasive examinations of girls’ anatomy.
“We are already observing instances of harassment and scrutiny directed at girls who do not adhere to traditional feminine roles,” stated Democratic Representative Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon.
