The U.S. House of Representatives passed a HR 28 today (Tuesday, Jan. 14) that restricts transgender students from participating in school athletics.
The bill amends the Education Amendments of 1972 so that, for the purpose of athletics, Title IX’s definition of “sex” only refers to a student’s sex assigned at birth. The bill explicitly states that youth assigned male at birth will not be allowed to participate on school sports teams designated for women and girls.
If the bill becomes law, schools that receive federal funding will be forced to exclude transgender young people from school athletics programs.
During the House debate today legislators questioned how, exactly, HR 28 would be enforced: Would students be subject to invasive body examinations by adults to determine their eligibility to play?
While this bill claims to “protect women and girls,” its true impact will be to exclude transgender and intersex women and girls from participation in school sports, and to put pressure on all women and girls to conform to rigid sex stereotypes.
— David Taffet