ST. PAUL – Minnesota House Republicans on Monday brought forward a bill they say supports safe and fair competition for girls in school-sanctioned athletics.
House Democrats blocked it, which Rep. Scott Van Binsbergen, R-Montevideo, said leaves the door open for biological males to participate in girls sports.
By voting down the bill (H.F. 12), Van Binsbergen said House Democrats undermined safety and fairness for female athletes, while also contradicting vast popular sentiment; polls show around 80 percent of people agree with the position. The floor vote came just hours after a Preserving Girls Sports Act rally took place at the Capitol. Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer and girls sports advocate, attended the event.
“People in our area can’t fathom having to create a law saying biological males shouldn’t participate in girls sports,” said Van Binsbergen, a co-author of the bill. “Now, people really can’t understand how House Democrats could possibly vote against our young girls this way, not only jeopardizing their safety but undermining fair competition. It’s a slap in the face to everyone who has worked so hard to bring girls sports so far, from Title IX and beyond.”
The Preserving Girls Sports Act specifically states that only female students may participate in school sports restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls. If there is a dispute, a student must present a signed physician’s statement indicating the student’s sex is based solely on the student’s internal and external anatomy, natural occurring level of testosterone, and an analysis of the student’s chromosomes.
Minnesota State High School League record books find significant differences between top scores in the boys and girls divisions. For example, the boys record holder for long jump is roughly 5 feet longer than the girls record holder; there’s a 7-second difference in the 400-meter dash; more than an 11-foot difference in the shot put, and a 32-second difference in the swimming 500-yard freestyle.
Furthermore, Van Binsbergen said a simple internet search shows produces numerous articles indicating girls are being physically injured while participating with biological males in female athletics – from concussions to having teeth knocked out. In addition, a study conducted by the United Nations found that female athletes have lost nearly 900 medals worldwide to transgender men that are competing in their events.
“It’s really not a complicated issue if House members vote to support the vast majority of their constituents,” Van Binsbergen said. “And there’s the problem: House Democrats again voted in lockstep with the radicals in the fringe minority, this time at the expense of girls who just want to have safe and fair athletic competition.”
House Republicans tabled the bill after Democrats voted against it, saving the legislation from defeat and keeping it available for future reconsideration.
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