Legislation is currently under consideration by Pennsylvania lawmakers that would prohibit transgender individuals from competing in women’s sports.
Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Wellsboro, was one of the state representatives that introduced the bill.
“I joined several colleagues this week in introducing such legislation in response to an executive order by President Joe Biden that attempts to require biological males be permitted to compete on women’s sports teams,” said Owlett in an op-ed submitted to The Era recently.
State Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, voiced a similar opinion when contacted Wednesday.
“If biological males are permitted to compete in women’s sports, it’s not really women’s sports anymore,” said Causer. “I will support the bill.”
Owlett discussed the fact he has four children, one of them a daughter, and that he hopes she will have the chance to compete fairly and “on a level playing field with her peers.” Yet, Owlett notes that his concerns extend beyond that factor.
“But it goes far beyond what I want for my own daughter. It’s what I believe every young girl and adult woman deserves, not only in sports but in life,” he stated.
Pennsylvania is far from the first state to take on this topic. Idaho, in fact, was the first state to pass a law banning transgender individuals from competing in women’s sports. Mississippi, Alabama, Montana and Tennessee have either passed a bill or had one chamber pass the bill and the other chamber take on the debate. Meanwhile, Arkansas and Missouri are considering similar bills, as are Florida and Utah.
The South Dakota Senate passed such a bill with a vote of 20-15, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has stated the intention to sign it if it reaches her desk.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, meanwhile, has made his opinion known on this topic with a social media statement Tuesday, saying “I’ll veto this discriminatory ban if it reaches my desk. To Pennsylvania’s trans youth: You belong. You are valued. Participate in the school activities that make you happiest. I’ll be cheering you on.”
Meanwhile, 16 states (and the District of Columbia) have opted to allow transgender girls and women to compete in women’s sports and are fielding lawsuits. One such example is Connecticut, which has been sued by three athletes, on the basis that the decision is a breach of Title IX.
“It’s been almost 50 years since the passage of Title IX. The whole point of Title IX was to ensure women are not discriminated against and have access to the same athletic opportunities as men,” Causer said. “Title IX was an incredible step forward and created tremendous opportunities for female athletes to play sports, and earn athletic scholarships. The scholarships allow millions of young women to go to college when they may not have otherwise been able to attend.
“But for all young women who participated at the high school level, whether they were granted scholarships or not, they were able to experience firsthand a competitive environment on a level playing field.”
Owlett cites Title IX as well, pointing out that Congress saw it necessary to adopt Title IX nearly 50 years ago to “create equal athletic opportunities for women.”
Owlett went on to say, “Allowing anyone other than biological females to compete in women’s sports would effectively erase any progress that has been made.”
For Owlett, an important consideration is the biological differences in the genetics of males versus females. He finds this illustrated quite well by the following point:
“Did you know that in 2018, 275 high school boys ran the 400 meter faster than the lifetime best of Olympic Team USA member and world-record-holding sprinter Allyson Felix?” said Owlett. “It’s a fact that perfectly illustrates why we need to ensure only biological females are eligible to participate in women’s sports.”
