Transgender member of Congress ‘mystified’ GOP ‘prioritizes’ banning trans athletes from women’s sports
Sarah McBride, first an openly transgender member of Congress, blasted Republicans for focusing on keeping transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.
Delaware, the state where McBride won the election to serve as a representative of his general district, has no laws restricting trans athletes from participating in sports that do not conform to their birth gender.
“I’ve talked to colleagues about a lot of the bills that are coming before us, and I’ve certainly heard from some colleagues who, like me, are confused that this is a priority of the Republican conference going into the Republican trifecta, that this is an issue that they’re prioritizing,” she recently told The Independent.
“And that defies understanding, other than the fact that it’s a pretty obvious part of a policy of misdirection and deterrence.”
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Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., poses for a photo after joining other congressional freshmen of the 119th Congress for a group photo on the steps of the House of Representatives on the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.reintroduced a measure earlier this week to prevent biological male participation in women’s and women’s sports in the Republican-led Senate. With leadership approval, it is expected to receive a vote.
The Women and Girls in Sports Protection Act has been a longtime crusade for the Alabama Republican, who originally introduced it in 2023.
The measure would hold which Title IX addresses gender as “recognized solely on the basis of a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and does not adapt it to apply to gender identity.
Twenty-eight states have restrictions on trans athletes playing sports that align with their gender identity.
Since McBride’s election, there has been a battle on Capitol Hill over whether McBride should be allowed to use women’s restrooms.
Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., poses for a photo on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Tuberville’s legislation would ban federal funding for athletic programs that allow biological males to participate in women’s and girls’ sports.
President-elect Trump has said he will “ban” transgender athletes who were born male from participating in women’s and women’s sports.
President Biden recently dropped potential protections for transgender athletes.
“President Trump ran on the issue of saving women’s sports and won in a landslide,” Tuberville, a former college football coach, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Seventy percent of Americans agree — men have no place in women’s sports or locker rooms. I’ve said many times that I think Title IX is one of the best things to come out of Washington. But in the last few years, it’s been destroyed.
Newly elected Sarah Elfreth, D-Md.; Sarah McBride, D-Del.; and Emily Randall, D-Wash., speak as they and other freshmen of the 119th Congress gather for a group photo on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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“While I’m glad the Biden administration ultimately overturned the proposed rule, Congress must make sure this never happens again. I’m welcoming my first granddaughter this spring, and I won’t stop fighting until her fair competition rights are protected. I hope every one of my colleague will join me in advocating for our daughters, nieces and grandchildren by voting for this critical bill.”
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
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