Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act failed on a call for a unanimous vote Wednesday in the Senate. The legislation can still pass the U.S. Senate through regular order.
“Last week, the House voted for a common-sense proposal that’s supported by the majority of Americans. The House voted to protect female athletes,” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said. “This week, it’s time for the Senate to do the same thing.
“When I was growing up there were a lot less opportunities for female athletes. But 51 years ago, Congress passed Title IX to ensure male and female athletes both had access to lessons, life skills, and opportunities for advancement that come from participating in sports.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) objected to Tuberville, blocking passage of the bill by unanimous consent.
Tuberville called on Democrats to show courage in supporting the bill.
“Males have 40 to 50 percent greater upper body strength. And 20 to 40 percent greater lower body strength. It’s dangerous to put them on the same field with women. This is basic biology,” he said. “But what did we see from the ‘Party of Science’ last week? Exactly zero Democrats voted for this bill in the House.
“The ‘Party of Science’ seems to have skipped biology class. Now the question is, will any Democrats in the Senate show a little bit of courage and stand up for women?”
The bill has been backed by 26 Republican senators.
“They (Republicans) continue to hurl insulting lies about transgender girls dominating sports,” Hirono said. “But what is true is that these bans are deeply hurtful to transgender girls, particularly transgender girls of color, girls who are gender-nonconforming, and cisgender girls as well.
“My Republican colleagues are obsessed with controlling women’s bodies and our lives, as we are seeing yet again today. We shouldn’t be banning anyone from playing sports, we should be fighting the discrimination that all women and girls — trans, cis or otherwise — continue to face in athletics, in the classroom and in the workplace. For these reasons, I object.”
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act:
- Ensures Title IX provisions treat gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
- Bans recipients of federal funding from operating, sponsoring, or facilitating athletic programs that permit a male to participate in a women’s sporting event.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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