The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from competing in women's and girls' school sports, weighing in on an issue that has riled social conservatives.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023 passed in a party-line 219-203 vote. It has no chance of passing the Democrat-controlled Senate, and President Joe Biden has also voiced his opposition to the measure, calling it discriminatory.
The measure would change the civil rights law known as Title IX to require that a student's sex be "based on an individual's reproductive biology and genetics at birth."
Enacted in 1972, Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. It was created to ensure equal opportunity for participation and opened the door for more women to participate in sports.
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