Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, blasted Republicans for focusing on keeping transgender athletes out of girls’ and women’s sports.
Delaware, the state where McBride won election to serve as representative for its at-large district, does not have laws restricting trans athletes from participating in sports that do not match their gender at birth.
“I’ve had conversations with colleagues about many of the bills that are coming before us, and I’ve certainly heard from some colleagues who, like me, are confused that this is a priority for a Republican conference going into a republican trifecta that this is an issue that they prioritize,” she told The Independent recently.
“And it defies understanding, other than the fact that it’s a pretty obvious part of a policy of misdirection and distraction.”
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Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., poses for a photo after joining other congressional alumni of the 119th Congress for a group photo on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.reintroduced a measure earlier this week to bar biologically male participation in women’s and girls’ sports in the Republican-led Senate. With management’s approval, it is expected to get a floor vote.
The Women and Girls in Sports Protection Act has been a years-long crusade for the Alabama Republican, who originally introduced it in 2023.
The measure would sustain which Section IX deals with gender as “recognized solely based on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and does not adapt it to apply to gender identity.
Twenty-eight states have restrictions on trans athletes participating in sports that align with their gender identity.
Since McBride’s election, there has been a battle on Capitol Hill over whether McBride should be allowed to use women’s restrooms.
Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, D-Del., poses for a photo on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Tuberville’s legislation would prohibit federal funding from going to athletic programs that allow biological males to participate in women’s and girls’ sports.
President-elect Trump has said he would “ban” transgender athletes born male from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
President Biden recently dropped possible protections for transgender athletes.
“President Trump ran on the issue of saving women’s sports and won in a landslide,” Tuberville, a former college football coach, said in a statement to Pakinomist Digital. “70 percent of Americans agree — men don’t belong in women’s sports or locker rooms. I’ve said many times that I think Title IX is one of the best things to come out of Washington. But in the last few years it has been destroyed.
Representatives Sarah Elfreth, D-Md.; Sarah McBride, D-Del.; and Emily Randall, D-Wash., speak as they and other congressional students from the 119th Congress gather for a group photo on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“While I’m glad the Biden administration ultimately repealed the proposed rule, Congress needs to make sure this never happens again. I’m welcoming my first grandchild this spring and won’t stop fighting until her rights to compete fairly are protected. I hope every one of my colleagues will join me in standing up for our daughters, nieces and granddaughters by voting for this critical bill.”
