The Texas House approved a bill that will base school sports teams on the biological sex of the individual.
Texas House Bill 25 passed with a 76-54 vote on Thursday and is expected to pass the Senate, according to The Texas Tribune.
The Texas House of Representatives has approved a bill banning transgender children from playing school sports of the gender with which they identify on Thursday. https://t.co/HzR4fv8yFK
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) October 15, 2021
The bill requires “public school students to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions based on biological sex,” the state site says.
This means that students will be required to participate on school teams based on their biological sex, not the gender with which they identify.
This bill, introduced by Representative Valoree Swanson, is aimed at protecting biological females from discrimination in school sports.
“This is all about girls and protecting them in our UIL sports,” Swanson said, according to the Texas Tribune.
Competing in school sports on the basis of feelings or thoughts instead of biological sex has been an issue in the past. Such was the case of Mack Beggs, a female-to-male trans wrestler on testosterone who dominated the Texas Girls’ State Wrestling tournament.
In the season prior to the tournament, two biologically female opponents–who were not on testosterone–felt forced to forfeit out of fear of injury, the Daily Wire reported.
WATCH: in a dramatic finish, transgender wrestler Mack Beggs rolls out of a possible pinfall to avoid defeat and win state. Met with boos from the crowd. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/72xRpzsQGN
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) February 24, 2018
In Connecticut, two transgender high school students, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, won first and second place, respectively, in the100-meter race at the State Open Finals, according to ABC News.
Not surprisingly, this upset many parents.
Terry Miller of Bulkeley wins the 100m girls dash i. 11.72 (meet record). Andraya Yearwood of Cromwell 2nd, RHAM’s Bridget Lalonde 3rd #cttrack pic.twitter.com/4GmLRyicDI
— GameTimeCT (@GameTimeCT) June 4, 2018
Regardless of the advantages transgender students may have over their biological peers, the left has spoken out against HB-25.
The ACLU has called the bill “cruel” and “unconstitutional.”
BREAKING: The Texas House just passed a cruel and unconstitutional bill, HB25, denying transgender youth the right to play sports.
Trans youth belong in sports.
Trans youth belong in Texas.
Trans youth belong everywhere.
— ACLU (@ACLU) October 15, 2021
Equality Texas has called the bill a “sports ban.”
House Bill 25, the trans sports ban, is on the House floor today. We need as many advocates to show up as possible to fill the Capitol rotunda and let lawmakers know we will never stop fighting to oppose anti-transgender legislation. Join us all day or even for an hour. pic.twitter.com/9HtYZRs058
— Equality Texas (@EqualityTexas) October 14, 2021
“Trans youth belong in sports. Trans youth belong in Texas. Trans youth belong everywhere. Tell Texas reps to vote NO on HB 25,” Billy Porter, an American actor and singer, tweeted.
The Texas legislature is set to vote on yet another anti-trans bill TODAY.
Trans youth belong in sports. Trans youth belong in Texas. Trans youth belong everywhere.
Tell Texas reps to vote NO on HB 25https://t.co/f3V43XiKsl @ACLUTx— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) October 14, 2021
The criticism from the left is always misleading. The bill does not ban trans students –or anyone for that matter — from sports. That would be unconstitutional if that were the case. What it does is state that boys’ and girls’ sports will remain… well, boys’ and girls’ sports! It does so by basing sex or gender on biological sex. A male who identifies as female, for example, would still be able to participate in school sports competition as long as they compete in the team with which their biological sex correlates. Both trans and “cis” and anything between or outside those categories would follow the same rules. The bill ensures that rules are applied consistently and it protects biological females from discrimination.
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