A bill to prevent biological males from competing in women’s sports passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a largely party-line vote Tuesday afternoon.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., would deny federal funding to any elementary and secondary schools, colleges or other educational institutions that allow biological males to participate in women’s sports.
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“It shall be a violation… for a recipient of federal financial assistance that operates, sponsors, or facilitates an athletic program or activity to permit a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls,” reads the text of the four-page bill.
The Republican bill would do this by amending Title IX, a 1972 federal law that prohibits discrimination based on a person’s “sex.” I would clarify that the word “sex” in the Title IX section on athletics refers to a person’s “reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” not a person’s self-proclaimed gender identity.
“The Chamber has kept its promise to protect women’s sports,” said Steube in a statement. “We Americans are united in our belief that men have no place in women’s sports, whether breaking records, breaking into locker rooms or stealing scholarship opportunities.”
“Denying biological truth erases equity in sports and puts women’s safety and opportunities at risk,” she said. “Today’s passage sends a clear message to the Senate: protecting women and girls in sports is non-negotiable.”
The legislation was approved by the house with 218 votes in favor and 206 against, with 216 Republicans voting in favor and none against. Only two Democrats, Rep. Henry Cuellar and Rep. Vicente González, voted in favor of the bill. Another 206 Democrats voted against it.
Title IX became federal law more than 50 years ago. Although the law says nothing about “gender identity,” President Joe Biden’s administration interpreted its ban on “sex” discrimination as included discrimination based on a person’s declared “gender identity.”
Numerous states and sports associations representing girls and women have sued the government over the administration’s reinterpretation of Title IX. The lawsuits warned that the reinterpretation would nullify state laws that separate sports, locker rooms, bathrooms and bedrooms based on biological sex.
A federal court struck down the Biden-era regulation last week, finding that the Department of Education exceeded its authority in its reinterpretation and that the rule itself violates the U.S. Constitution.
“For more than 50 years, Title IX has opened doors for millions of young women,” Rep. August Pfluger said in a statement.
“Now we are reinforcing those foundations with strong protections that ensure that fair competition remains truly fair,” he continued. “As a father of (three) girls, I am relieved that we are advocating for common sense policies that empower and protect women’s sports.”
The bill now heads to the Senate, which has a 53-47 Republican majority. The bill needs 60 votes to overcome the filibuster and reach a final vote. This means seven Democrats would have to join Republicans in the House to send the bill to the president’s desk.
Several gay rights groups have expressed opposition to the bill.
“We all want sports to be fair, students to be safe, and young people to have the opportunity to participate alongside their peers,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. in a statement after the vote.
“But this kind of blanket ban deprives children of those things,” he said. “This bill would expose young people to harassment and discrimination, encouraging people to question the gender of children who do not fit a narrow view of how they are supposed to dress or look. It could even expose children to invasive and inappropriate questions and tests.”
Several conservative groups praised the bill.
“Girls should not be spectators in their own sports,” said Alliance Defending Freedom President Kristen Wagoner. in a statement.
“Allowing men who identify as women to compete in women’s sports ignores the biological differences between the sexes, destroying fair competition and erasing women’s athletic prospects. …As we continue to see more and more incidents across the country in which men dominate women’s athletic competitions, it is imperative to affirm that what matters in athletics is biology, not identity.”
Even if the legislation fails to pass the Senate, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to take federal action on his first day in office to “stop the transgender madness,” including keeping “men out of women’s sports.” .
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.