Pennsylvania House Passes Measure to Ban Biological Males From Competing in Women’s Sports

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass legislation to designate sports teams in schools by biological sex and not allow biological male transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports. 

Fox News reported that the state House voted 115-84 to pass the measure, House Bill 972. The bill now goes to the state Senate. If passed, the bill will go to Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) desk. Fox noted that Wolf has pledged to veto a similar bill in consideration of the State Senate, Senate Bill 1191. 

HB 972, called the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” explicitly states that “athletic teams or sports designated for females, women or girls under subsection (a) (2) may not be open to students of the male sex.” 

“Interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural or club athletic teams or sports that are sponsored by a public school entity, a public institution of higher education or any school or institution where students or teams compete against a public school entity or public institution of higher education must be expressly designated as one of the following based on sex: (1) male, men or boys. (2) Female, women or girls. (3) Coed or mixed,” the measure reads.

Wolf said in a tweet on Tuesday that the “transphobic” legislation “won’t get past [his] desk.” 

As states across the country push transphobic legislation, some Republicans in the General Assembly are wasting time attempting the same in Pennsylvania.

It won’t get past my desk.

Let’s enhance protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians instead. Send me the bipartisan Fairness Act. pic.twitter.com/Srj8JBsJwn

— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) April 12, 2022

Instead, Wolf urged state lawmakers to pass a separate piece of legislation, House Bill 300, the “Pennsylvania Human Relations Act,” also called the “Fairness Act.” 

Earlier this year, biological male athlete Will “Lia” Thomas competed on the women’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania and won races competing against biological women. Since then, several GOP governors have drafted legislation to protect women’s sports, such as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. 

Last month, two Republican governors vetoed bills protecting girls’ sports, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear did the same. As Townhall covered, Utah lawmakers overturned Cox’s veto.