(WDNews) – U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has reintroduced a bill aimed at barring transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. The legislation, titled The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, has the backing of 23 Republican senators this year.
The bill, now advancing under Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could be brought to a vote in the coming weeks, according to a report from Fox News Digital. It seeks to define gender under Title IX as based solely on “reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” rather than an individual’s gender identity.
If passed, the legislation would block federal funding for athletic programs that permit transgender athletes to compete in women’s and girls’ sports. Tuberville has been advocating for the measure since the Biden administration proposed changes to Title IX for the 2023-24 school year, which include protections for transgender and nonbinary students, an expanded definition of sexual harassment, new standards for handling sexual assault cases, and additional safeguards for pregnant and parenting students.
In 2021, Alabama passed a state law prohibiting transgender athletes from competing on public school sports teams if their gender on their birth certificate does not align with their team.
Nationwide, it is estimated that less than 1% of high school athletes are transgender, with about 30 transgender athletes competing openly in college sports, according to U.S. News report.
