Hinson: Ban on trans athletes in girls’ sports about fairness

Republicans are making a national push to prohibit transgender student athletes from competing on girls’ sports teams consistent with their gender identity, mirroring efforts at the state level, including in Iowa.

U.S. House Republicans this week passed a bill that would make it a violation of Title IX for schools to allow “a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.” It also amends Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs, to define sex as based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.

The bill includes the caveat that transgender athletes could train or practice with a women's athletic team “so long as no female is deprived of a roster spot on a team or sport” or an opportunity for a scholarship or other benefit.

Every member of Iowa’s Republican U.S. House delegation voted to pass the bill, including Rep. Ashley Hinson of Marion.

Hinson, speaking to reporters during a conference call Friday, said the push at the federal level is about preserving fairness in sports — protecting women's and girls’ rights to compete on a fair playing field and not being “unfairly forced to compete against biological males.”

“Ignoring the biological differences between men and women, and allowing biological boys to compete against girls is unfair, and it sets the progress made in girls’ athletics back by 50 years,” Hinson said. “Title IX changed the game for women’s sports. But, now here we are in 2023 and that progress is at risk.”

Hinson said the legislation is a rebuke of a newly proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Education that would amend Title IX to codify protections for transgender student athletes in public schools by.

The proposed rule would halt blanket bans on transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity in grades K-8 and would set a high bar for restrictions on transgender athletes at the high school and college level.

Over 20 states pass trans bans

More than 20 states have passed bans on transgender youth in sports, including Iowa. The proposed rule would invalidate Iowa’s law and those in other states.

Hinson praised Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds for signing such a law last year that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls’ high school sports and women’s college athletics.

“We should not be allowing the federal government to preempt our states’ rights here to protect girls’ athletics statewide,” she said.

Ban was vetoed in Utah

Democrats and civil rights groups argue the House-passed bill is a political attack under the guise of protecting women’s sports, and note Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox vetoed a similar sports ban in the state. Cox, in his veto message, said the bill would harm vulnerable children to solve a nonexistent problem.

The Utah governor wrote the bill that would have barred four transgender athletes in the state from competing in high school sports that include 75,000 athletes.

“Four kids and only one of them playing girls sports,” Cox wrote in his veto message. “That’s what all of this is about. Four kids who aren’t dominating or winning trophies or taking scholarships.

“Four kids who are just trying to find some friends and feel like they are a part of something. Four kids trying to get through each day. Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I don’t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do.”

Cox noted transgender students face higher health and suicide risks than their peers.

The Republican-controlled state legislature in Utah overrode the Republican governor’s veto, but the law is currently prevented from going into effect due to a court injunction.

Hinson: Keeping girls’ sports fair for girls

“I want every child to have a great experience at school,” Hinson said when asked about Cox’s rebuke of similar legislation. “But telling girls that they have to compete against biological males is the opposite of inclusion.”

She said she’s spoken with young female athletes about issue and heard from concerned parents and grandparents.

“This is about keeping girls’ sports fair for girls and protecting the progress we have made in empowering girls and girls’ sports,” Hinson said.

The legislation is a key part of the GOP’s education agenda, which includes passage of a “Parents Bill of Rights” and closely mirrors legislation recently passed by Iowa Republican state lawmakers.

The bill, however, is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats. And President Joe Biden has said he would veto the legislation if it ever came to his desk.

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