Minnesota State Representative Walter Hudson said on April 8 that House Democrats blocked three bills intended to prevent biological males from participating in girls’ sports. The proposals, brought forward by House Republicans, were stopped during legislative action at the Minnesota Capitol.
The debate follows recent developments including a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Minnesota for not protecting girls’ sports and women-only spaces. Hudson said these measures are necessary after the International Olympic Committee announced a policy banning men from women’s Olympic events.
One of the key proposals, called the Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12), would have limited participation in school sports designated for females to only female students. Hudson said that without this law, “the door remains open for biological males to continue participating in Minnesota girls sports even though polls show around 80 percent of people agree with the bill’s position.” He also said, “What this issue really highlights is the importance of protecting the safety of girls and women. When you look at why those concerns exist, it is because there are real, biological differences between males and females that House Democrats refuse to acknowledge. Safety and fairness are fundamental to athletics, and participation should be based on biological sex to ensure a level playing field for everyone involved. It’s too bad Twin Cities liberals would rather cater to extreme radicals than take a stand for girls in our state who simply want safe and fair competitions.”
The Department of Justice lawsuit alleges that Minnesota violated Title IX by allowing transgender athletes into girls’ competitions and missed a federal deadline earlier this year to change its policy or face penalties. In October, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that excluding males from female athletics based on sex qualifies as illegal public accommodation discrimination.
House Republicans also tried advancing two other similar bills—H.F. 2685 and H.F. 1233—but both were stopped by party-line votes.
