The U.S. House has passed a bill prohibiting transgender students from competing in women’s sports, sparking significant debate.
Washington: The U.S. House just passed a bill that would stop transgender students from joining women’s sports teams. The vote was pretty close at 218-206.
This move comes as more states are making similar laws against trans athletes in schools. It’s part of a bigger push by the GOP to limit trans rights.
Interestingly, almost all Democrats opposed the bill, but a couple of Texas representatives voted for it. One Democrat even voted “present.”
Florida Rep. Greg Steube introduced this legislation, which had a version that passed before but didn’t go anywhere when Democrats were in charge.
After the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson celebrated, saying it was a great day for women. He believes the House is standing up for common sense.
Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, was there too. She said this bill brings the country closer to ensuring that male athletes can’t take opportunities away from women.
On the flip side, the Human Rights Campaign pointed out that there’s a lot of misinformation about trans youth in sports. They argue that this has been a non-issue for a while.
The bill aims to change Title IX, stating that sex should be based on a person’s biology at birth. However, it doesn’t explain how they plan to enforce this ban, which Democrats quickly highlighted.
Title IX is a key law that prevents sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funds. Recently, the Biden administration tried to strengthen protections for LGBTQ+ students, but a federal judge blocked those updates.
With Republicans now in control of Congress and Trump returning to the White House, they’re in a strong position to push this ban through.
In the Senate, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville has reintroduced a similar bill, already backed by 35 Republicans. They’ll need at least 60 votes to get past a filibuster.
Democrats and civil rights groups are strongly against this measure. They argue it could put students at risk and violate privacy rights.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici voiced her concerns, saying this bill could empower predators and create more problems than it solves.
Over 400 civil rights groups have also urged Congress to reject this bill, calling it discriminatory and an attack on trans people.
