Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida introduced a new bill in the House on Thursday that would prohibit transgender-identifying men from participating in Olympic or amateur sports. Why pins and needles? It’s an election year so this bill is going to have people fired up on both sides. IF it gets to a vote it will put politicians on the record.
The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act aims to protect women’s sports from being overshadowed or dominated by biological males who identify as women. This legislation comes in response to the 2024 transgender policy adopted by USA Boxing, which allows transgender-identifying men to compete as women if they have undergone sex reassignment surgery and maintained a certain level of testosterone for three years.
In a statement, Rep. Steube explained that the bill was necessary to combat the erasure of women’s sports and defend the fairness and safety of women’s competitions. He also highlighted the absurdity of organizations like USA Boxing adopting policies that allow biological men to compete against women and potentially harm them. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has introduced a companion bill in the Senate, emphasizing the importance of keeping men out of women’s sports at all levels, including the Olympics.
The bill, if passed, would prohibit any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee from allowing men to participate in athletic events intended for females. This means that transgender-identifying men would not be allowed to compete as women in any capacity under the USOC’s recognition. The bill is co-sponsored by several other Republican representatives, including Reps Harriet Hageman (WY), Lauren Boebert (CO), and Paul Gosar (AZ).
This move by Rep. Steube and his colleagues comes as transgender-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas has begun legal proceedings to change World Aquatics rules, which would allow transgender-identifying men to compete as women in elite swimming competitions. This would even apply to those who have gone through male puberty. If this change were to occur, it could potentially open the door for men to dominate women’s swimming competitions and jeopardize the fairness and safety of female competitors.
This bill serves as a protection for female athletes who have worked tirelessly to represent their country on the world stage. It ensures that those who compete in women’s sports are biologically female and have not gone through male puberty, which could give them an unfair advantage over their fellow female competitors. It also upholds the integrity of women’s sports and recognizes the differences between males and females in terms of physical abilities.
Today, I introduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohibit any governing body recognized by @TeamUSA from allowing biological men to participate in ANY athletic event intended for women.
With groups like @USABoxing adopting insane transgender…
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) February 1, 2024
In recent years, there has been a growing concern over the inclusion of transgender-identifying men in female sports. Critics argue that this inclusion undermines the very purpose of having separate women’s sports categories and diminishes opportunities for females to excel in their respective fields. They also argue that allowing biological males to compete in female sports could potentially put the safety of female athletes at risk.
This issue has sparked heated debates and legal battles across the country. Many states have introduced legislation to ban transgender-identifying males from competing in women’s sports, while others have taken a more inclusive approach. The passage of the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act would provide a nationwide standard for regulating participation in women’s sports and would eliminate confusion and potential conflicts.
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) stated, “It is deeply disturbing to see USA Boxing change its policy to allow men to box against women. Men should not be competing in women’s sports at any level—and especially not in a sport like boxing.”
“Whether in little league or the Olympics, it’s unsafe, it’s unfair, and it’s just plain wrong. This bill will ensure that the Olympics are fair to American women who train their whole lives to represent our country on the world stage,” Tuberville continued.
The bill introduced by Rep. Greg Steube is a crucial step in protecting women’s sports and upholding the fairness and safety of athletic competitions. It sends a clear message that men should not be allowed to compete in female sports, at any level, and that organizations like USA Boxing should not be recognized if they adopt policies that allow this. It remains to be seen how this bill will fare in Congress, but one thing is for sure – it has sparked a conversation and shed light on an issue that is critical for the future of women’s sports.
