More states have introduced legislation to protect girls and women from having to compete in sports against biological males who think they are women. It’s a growing movement, as we previously reported in The Daily Citizen.
Here’s information about those states, as well as information about how concerned citizens can join the groundswell of those who want to protect girls privacy, safety and sports.
In Connecticut, HB 5795 is “An Act Prohibiting Biological Males from Competing on Public Female-Only Athletic Teams in Intercollegiate, Interscholastic and Intramural Athletic Events.” The bill amends the state’s education laws to protect women’s rights in athletics.
The legislation is supported by the Family Institute of Connecticut (FIC) a Focus on the Family affiliated organization that works on behalf of family, marriage, life, religious freedom and racial reconciliation.
Executive Director Peter Wolfgang told us, “FIC supports this bill because it affirms that biology, not identity, is what matters in athletics. Here in Connecticut, two males dominated girls’ track, winning 15 women’s championships and breaking female track records. This fundamental unfairness to girls sports is why we support this bill. To do otherwise would mean the end of women’s sports.”
Wolfgang is referring to Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, biological males who believe they are girls. Three young women, Selina Soule, Alanna Smith and Chelsea Mitchell, have filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference alleging Title IX discrimination for allowing males to compete in girls sports. Those wanting to support girls and women’s athletics, along with other pro-family pro-life initiatives in the state, should contact FIC.
Hawaii’s HB1304 “prohibits biologically born males from competing in any athletic program offered by a public high school that is designated for women or girls.” The measure was introduced and has been assigned to the House Committees on Education and on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
The bill cites a 2019 study by the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm, “Muscle Strength, Size, and Composition Following 12 months of Gender-affirming Treatment in Transgender Individuals,” which concluded that one year of testosterone suppression and opposite sex hormones did not significantly change muscle function, size and composition in men who believe they are women.
Hawaii has already seen biological males competing against high school girls. Cynthia Monteleone, a mother of three who competes in Masters track events, filed a Title IX complaint on behalf of her daughter when a transgender-identified athlete was set to compete in the Maui Interscholastic League girls track and field events. The boy had previously competed in girls volleyball. Watch for yourself and see how, after running track for only a few weeks, he outran girls who had been training for years.
Hawaiians who wish to support the measure can contact Hawaii Family Forum, a Focus-affiliated culture and policy group.
Iowa has two virtually identical “Save Women’s Sports Acts” under consideration, House File (HF) 184 and HF 334. The bills would make male students “ineligible to participate in athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls.” They also allow students to claim damages if harmed by educational institutions that violate the act.
The group LGBTQ Iowa opposes the legislation, and has sample talking points for activists. The group says that establishing a student’s biological sex – as male or female – perpetuates “the harmful myth that there are clearly defined qualities that all people of a particular sex or gender possess.” The group quotes ACLU Attorney Chase Strangio, who says that protecting girls sports is “an assault on the basic dignity and humanity of transgender people and a threat to the privacy and equality of all students.”
The FAMiLY LEADER (TFL) is Iowa’s Focus-affiliated Family Policy Council, advocating for issues such as the sanctity of life, marriage, families and parental rights in education. The organization has opportunities for volunteers and interns who want to make a difference in the state. The TFL also has a Church Ambassador Network that works to help congregations engage these issues and to bring pastors and church leaders into relationships with legislators.
Minnesota’s SF 96, the Save Women’s Sports Bill, had a hearing in the state Senate’s Education Finance and Policy Committee. According to the Minnesota Family Council & Institute (MFC&I) “the bill clarifies Title IX and existing Minnesota laws that protect opportunities for girls in sports, stating that a school that allows a male athlete to compete in women’s or girls’ athletic events is in violation of these provisions.”
MFC&I reports, “Beth Stelzer, founder of Save Women’s Sports, testified in support of the bill, sharing about her experience competing in USA Powerlifting, which is currently being sued because they did not allow a biological male to compete in the women’s division at the Minnesota State Bench Press Championship in 2019.”
Stelzer told the committee, “Fairness, privacy, and safety for females must be ensured and protected, and like most women, I would never have started my fitness journey if I would have to compete against males. There would have been no point. I’m sure my teenage self would have felt the same way.”
For more information about the legislation, MFC&I has articles explaining why the bill is necessary and ways for concerned citizens to make their voices heard on this and other pro-family legislation.
The Texas Legislature has two bills, SB 373 and HB 1458 which would protect girls and women’s athletic opportunities and scholarships in the state. Texas Values, a Focus on the Family affiliated group, says it’s committed to supporting the bills in this legislative session.
The organization reported, “Unfortunately, a growing trend of allowing biological males to compete in women’s sporting events destroys fair competition and robs women of athletic opportunities. Numerous women have been put at a disadvantage because schools and organizations ignore blatant biological differences and prioritize gender ideology over reality.”
Mary Elizabeth Castle, Policy Advisor for Texas Values, said, “The Save Women’s Sports effort helps keep a fair playing field. We want to make sure that female athletes can display their ability and talent without being overshadowed.”
Texas Values has a number of ways for voters to get engaged in this, and other legislative efforts.
Related articles and resources:
ACLU Tweets the ‘Myths and Facts’ About ‘Trans People in School Sports’
New Tool Helps Parents Fight Education System’s Indoctrination of their Children
#SaveGirlsSports – New Campaign Launched by Family Policy Alliance
Seven States Introduce Bills to ‘Save Girls Sports’ – Here’s How You Can Help
Photo from Family Policy Alliance
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