Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) announced on Tuesday that he is reintroducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a measure aimed at preventing trans-identified males from competing in women’s sports.
The senator’s announcement comes after a presidential election in which the issue of trans-identified athletes was a significant influence on the campaign. Amid national debate over gender ideology, the sports issue has often taken center stage, with critics arguing against biological males being allowed to compete with female athletes.
In an op-ed for Outkick, Tuberville made the case for the proposed legislation, highlighting how Title IX “has played a major role in weaving together the fabric of this great American tradition. Title IX is an executive rule prohibiting discrimination against individuals based on their gender in academia. “It level the playing field by creating opportunities for women to compete and earn the same scholarships as men,” Tuberville noted.
Yet, the Biden administration “has done all it can to dismantle Title IX protections for women in favor of radical gender ideology,” the lawmaker asserted. He accused the Biden administration of trying to “rewrite Title IX, issuing a rule which would force schools to allow men to compete in women’s sports and require them to share private spaces together. All in the name of ‘gender equity.’”
As a result, what I have long called one of the greatest pieces of legislation to ever pass out of Congress is hanging on by a thread. If the unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. continued to have their way with it, Title IX as we know it would cease to exist. Women’s opportunities to safely participate and benefit from scholastic athletics would greatly diminish—which would not just be a detriment to female student athletes, but to the entire country.
The bill, which Tuberville originally introduced in 2023, seeks to amend Title IX to define sex based solely on biological and genetic characteristics displayed at birth. It prohibits trans-identified males from competing in sporting events designated for female athletes.
The measure would not prevent males from training or practicing with female athletes, however.
The bill, if passed, would withhold federal funding from schools and organizations that force female athletes to compete against biological males. The objective is to “protect athletic opportunities for girls and women…ensuring a level playing field,” according to the text of the proposal.
Those arguing against such a measure argue that it “weaponizes landmark civil rights law against transgender youth, a critically marginalized population” and insist that trans-identified students “experience even more fear and harassment than LGB students.”
Whether the bill passes or not, introducing the measure and forcing a vote is a smart move. Not only could it protect female athletes if it passes, it would also expose which lawmakers believe men should be allowed to compete against women – despite the issues with fairness and safety.
While it wasn’t the primary issue influencing the 2024 campaign, transgender individuals in sports certainly had an impact. President-elect Donald Trump used it to great effect against Vice President Kamala Harris, highlighting the administration’s effort to use federal power to compel female athletes to compete against men.
As Tuberville has pointed out, several polls show that Americans, regardless of political affiliation, oppose the idea, which suggests that progressive efforts to convince, coerce, and cajole the public into accepting the notion that men can become women and vice versa have failed. If and when the Senate takes up the bill, it will show the nation where lawmakers truly stand on the issue: Do they actually believe in biological science or are they more concerned with pushing an ideological agenda?