WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) reintroduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The bill amends Title IX to strengthen protections for female athletes and make clear that allowing biological males to take awards, roster spots, scholarships, or spots at a school from female athletes is discriminatory and illegal. Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) and Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC) have worked closely with Rep. Steube on this critical policy measure and look forward to the bill’s swift passage in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Allowing even a single female athlete to be displaced by a biological male is discriminatory, and it is unacceptable. We are grateful for Representative Steube’s leadership and for his efforts to protect equal athletic opportunities for both sexes,” said Jennifer Braceras, Independent Women’s Law Center Director, Independent Women’s Forum.
“As an athlete who has experienced the injustice of competing against a male firsthand, I’m grateful for the leadership of Representative Steube. He has made it clear that he will fight for fairness, privacy, and safety for girls and women in sports,” said Riley Gaines, 12x NCAA All American Swimmer and Independent Women’s Forum Spokeswoman.
“As I’ve said many times – it’s a sad day in America when we have to introduce a bill to say that men will play on men’s teams and women will play on women’s teams. But we’ve seen time and time again how the Left only favors fairness when it aligns with their woke agenda. So today, I’m pleased to have re-introduced legislation that gives women and girls a fair playing field in competitive sports. It ensures that school athletics comply with the Title IX recognition of a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” said Congressman Greg Steube.
Click here to view the letter, written by Independent Women’s Law Center and Independent Women’s Voice, in support of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. In part, the letter states: “More than 50 years ago, Congress enacted Title IX to ensure equal opportunity in all aspects of education, including athletics. But without single-sex teams and single-sex competition, equal athletic opportunity is but a farce.”