Measure is valid for school tournaments and cites punishment for schools; now goes to the Senate
The Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday (Jan. 14, 2025) a project that bans transgender people from women’s competitions. The measure, supported by representatives from the Republican Party, applies to school tournaments and cites punishments for colleges.
O called “Sports to Protect Women and Girls Act of 2025”, stipulates that, to register for sports competitions, gender must be recognized “solely from the person’s biological reproductive organs at birth”. It also provides for punishment in cases of federal funding, such as school grants, to “men who participate in competitions aimed at women”.
The text points out that there is no prohibition for men to train in sports programs aimed at female students, as long as this does not cause them to lose their place on the team or stop receiving scholarships or school funding, or prevent female students from being admitted. in academic institutions, in addition to any benefit involving participation in sports projects.
The bill orders the U.S. Comptroller General to conduct a study to look at the benefits to women and girls of participating in individual sports that would be lost by allowing male athletes to be involved.
“The study should look at the adverse outcomes for girls psychologically, developmentally, participating and sociologically when allowing men to compete in women’s tournaments, including isolation and discouragement from sports participation.”, says the text of the project.
According to the In the US, Republican politicians argue that trans women have a physical advantage over cisgender women, which would result in limited opportunities in competitions.
Democrats, on the other hand, still according to say that these measures increase the discrimination that transgender people suffer, especially among young people. They argue that the Republican Party wants to dictate the rights of students from the LGBTQIA+ community by approving the project.
A reported that, of the 218 votes in favor of approving the project (206 were against), 2 were from deputies from the Democratic Party. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, both from Texas, a traditionally Republican state, were in favor of the measure. Another Democratic representative, Don Davis of North Carolina, abstained.
The measure, as explained by the broadcasterhad already been approved in the Chamber in April 2023, but did not have the approval of the Senate, which had, at the time, a Democratic majority. Now, with the election of the (Republican Party) and a Senate dominated by Republicans, the party’s expectation is that the project will be approved. But even so, it would be necessary to garner support from some Democratic congressmen.
LIFTING
A survey of the research center September 2024 showed that 26 US states have adopted policies that prevent transgender students from competing in sports according to their gender identity.
The research “Equality Maps: Bans on Transgender Youth Participation in Sports” (Maps of Equality: Prohibitions on the Participation of Transgender Young People in Sports, in Portuguese) analyzes the criteria that States use to determine the sex or gender of students. The study highlights the lack of uniformity in approaches and the emphasis on biological characteristics, often using birth certificates as proof. Read the (PDF – 446 kB, in English).
Alaska is the only state with a regulation that prohibits transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, as decided by the State Board of Education. Because this regulation is not a state law, responsibility for eligibility decisions rests primarily with schools. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, for example, implemented a policy that prevents trans women and transvestites from competing on women’s teams.
In the other 25 states, there is legislation that bars the participation of trans young people in school competitions, mainly covering primary and secondary education institutions, but often also extending to higher education.
