The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a divisive bill aimed at prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in school sports, marking a significant moment in the ongoing cultural debate over transgender rights.
The legislation, known as the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, passed with a 218-206 vote, with two Texas Democrats joining Republicans in support of the measure.
The bill seeks to redefine Title IX protections, using “reproductive biology and genetics at birth” to determine sex, thereby banning transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity in federally funded schools.
Supporters, including bill sponsor Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), argue that the law is necessary to protect women’s sports from unfair competition.
“All throughout humanity, we have recognized that women and men, as created by God, are biologically different,” Steube said during debate.
The bill is expected to face strong opposition in the Senate, where Republicans will need 60 votes to pass it.
There are also concerns that the bill could be linked to broader issues, such as federal funding, including aid for California’s wildfire recovery, which is tied to ongoing debt ceiling negotiations.
Civil rights groups have criticized the bill, warning it could lead to privacy violations and invasive investigations into students’ personal medical information.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) expressed concern that the bill would open the door to “every enforcement mechanism,” given the absence of a clear enforcement structure.
The Department of Education would be tasked with implementing the measure, but critics argue that the bill’s lack of detailed guidelines for verifying students’ sex could lead to confusion and discrimination.
Similar state-level proposals, like one in Florida that aimed to track students’ menstrual cycles, faced severe backlash and were ultimately scrapped.
