Transgender Ban in Women’s Sports

On April 20th, 2023, House Republicans passed a bill entitled “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023.” This bill prohibits schools and universities from allowing biologically born males to participate in programs that are designated for women and girls, regardless of gender identity. In other words, this bill would ban transgender women from participating in women's and girls' sports. The Republicans argue that allowing individuals who are born male to participate in women’s and girls’ sports is a violation of Title IX, which is designed to protect against discrimination on the basis of sex in academia (Congressional Research Service, 2023). The bill was passed in the Republican House on a vote of 219 to 203 (Office of the Clerk, 2023). However, the bill is unlikely to pass in the democratic-controlled sensate, and it was stated in a Statement of Administration Policy that President Biden would veto the bill, were it to end up on his desk (Executive Office of the President, 2023; Karni, 2023).

In the U.S., 1.6 million individuals outwardly identify as trans, 300,000 of which are youth. Hence, this bill would impact a significant population of school-aged youth, with nearly 1 in 5 trans individuals being between the ages of 13 and 17. This bill contributes to the Republicans’ nationwide push to restrict transgender rights, a population of individuals who already face disproportionately higher rates of bullying, depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts (Karni, 2023; UCLA School of Law, 2022).