Senate to Vote on "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" Amidst Growing Debate
The U.S. Senate is poised to vote on the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" on Monday, a bill designed to establish a firmer federal stance against the participation of transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports. This vote comes at a time when several states are challenging President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at addressing the issue. The bill’s fate remains uncertain, as it requires the support of at least seven Democratic senators to overcome a filibuster and reach the president’s desk, despite the Republican majority in the Senate.
In the House of Representatives, the bill faced significant opposition, with nearly all Democrats voting against it, except for two. This stark partisan divide highlights the complexity and sensitivity of the issue.
Advocates for the bill, particularly women athletes who feel they have been negatively impacted by the inclusion of transgender athletes, are urging Democratic senators to reconsider their party’s general position. They believe that the bill is necessary to protect the integrity of women’s sports and ensure fair competition.
Brooke Slusser, a former volleyball player at San Jose State University (SJSU), has become a prominent voice in this debate. She gained national attention after suing her school, conference, and the NCAA, citing her experiences with a transgender teammate. Slusser is imploring Democratic senators to prioritize the well-being of their daughters and other young female athletes across the country.
"Do they have kids? Would they ever want their daughter having a man swinging a crazy ball straight at their face when they’re a child? Maybe even unknowingly, and then they can never play sports again," Slusser questioned in an interview with Fox News Digital. "How can you think of that and still want to fight for something that could potentially injure and end a young athlete’s career? And overall, that it’s just not fair. I feel like I could go on and on to them about it. I just don’t see how they could support it."
Slusser’s lawsuits allege that she was compelled to share changing and sleeping spaces with her transgender teammate, Blaire Fleming, during their initial season together in 2023. After publicly voicing her concerns about transgender inclusion for months and attracting national media coverage, Slusser decided to leave SJSU’s campus due to alleged threats and harassment from other students who disagreed with her stance. Despite these challenges, she maintains that her activism has been worthwhile because it has inspired legislative changes, potentially including the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act."
Payton McNabb and Selina Soule, fellow women athletes, recently visited the White House to meet with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and several other state attorneys general to share their personal stories and advocate for a national ban on transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.
Soule, a former high school track and field athlete and four-time National Qualifier, was denied a spot in a regional championship because two transgender athletes took women’s spots. This loss prevented her from gaining attention from college scouts and potentially earning scholarships. This pivotal moment led her to become an activist, and she began speaking out against transgender inclusion in local media in 2018.
"I would tell all of those senators that are unsure about this bill to think about your daughters, think about your nieces and granddaughters. Would you want them to be forced into a situation where they have to compete against someone who is physically superior to them? Would you be okay with them sharing a bathroom, changing next to a man, sharing a bed with a man if they didn’t want to?" Soule inquired. "If you say no to any of that, then vote for this bill to protect women and girls."
McNabb, a former volleyball player who suffered brain trauma and a neck injury after being hit in the head by a spike from a transgender player when she was 17, wants to remind Democratic senators that the majority of Americans, including many of their own voters, oppose transgender inclusion in girls’ and women’s sports, based on various data.
"The time is now to vote and to stand up for women and these basic rights that they deserve, because the majority of America agrees with this, and a lot of Democrats agree with this as well, but I don’t understand why they won’t vote on it, they try to push this agenda so hard," McNabb stated. "Think about your daughters, think about every woman in your life, because this affects them and their vote matters, and they need to vote for them."
McNabb and Soule hope that their discussions with the state attorneys general will lead to conversations between those attorneys general and Democratic senators in their states, thereby securing enough votes for the bill to reach Trump’s desk.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, a prominent Republican leader from Tennessee, anticipates that the bill will receive some bipartisan support. "I would expect there would be, I would hope there would be," she stated. "Many of my friends who are Democrats will tell you that they think Title IX is a thing and to have biological males competing against women is inappropriate, and they want opportunities for their daughters or nieces or granddaughters, and it’s frustrating to them when they hear about or witness a transgender male playing in a women’s or girls’ league."
A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey revealed that the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, believe that transgender athletes should not be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Out of the 2,128 participants, 79% stated that biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. Among the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% expressed the same view.
The upcoming Senate vote on the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" will be a crucial moment in the ongoing debate about transgender athletes in sports. The outcome will likely have significant implications for the future of women’s sports and the rights of transgender individuals. As the debate continues, it is essential to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders and strive for solutions that promote fairness, inclusion, and safety for all athletes.
The narratives of athletes like Slusser, Soule and McNabb amplify the sentiment that the inclusion of trans athletes may have harmful consequences to cisgender athletes. Their stories may have swaying power in the Senate vote.
