House Passes Bill to Bar Transgender Athletes From Female Sports Teams

And they criticized Republicans for harnessing a few examples from the ranks of elite sports of transgender athletes competing against and beating women — examples, they argued, that have little to do with elementary- and middle-school students who simply want to be included in school activities.

“These bills tell some of the most vulnerable children in our country that they do not belong,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington, whose daughter is transgender. “Don’t use our kids as punching bags and put them in danger.”

Democrats also argued that enforcing such a bill would require invasive examinations. “How do you verify a girl’s reproductive anatomy?” Ms. Jayapal said. “If your daughter doesn’t look feminine enough, is she subject to examination? This is absolutely absurd.”

About 1.3 million adults and 300,000 children in the United States identify as transgender. Twenty-one states have enacted laws to bar transgender athletes from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank that tracks L.G.B.T.Q. laws.

“Recognizing that we are all God’s children, I rise in opposition to this legislation,” said Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, “because trans kids are all God’s children, belong in sports, in schools, in books, in families and on teams.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/us/politics/transgender-athlete-ban-bill.html