{"id":2431439,"date":"2025-05-06T13:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-readies-to-ratify-policy-protecting-girls-sports-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:01:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:01:46","slug":"virginia-readies-to-ratify-policy-protecting-girls-sports-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginia-readies-to-ratify-policy-protecting-girls-sports-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia readies to ratify policy protecting girls sports &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginia-readies-to-ratify-policy-protecting-girls-sports-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2431439&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Virginia is poised to ratify a controversial policy that would prohibit biological males from participating in girls&#8217; sports in high schools. This vote, which stems from a decision made earlier in February, will be finalized during an upcoming meeting of the Virginia high School League (VHSL), marking its first gathering as the policy decision. The new rule is intended to align with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/immigration-groups-sue-dhs-over-show-me-your-papers-rule-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Immigration groups sue DHS over &#039;show me your papers&#039; rule - Washington Examiner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pinkerton-bidens-great-reset-comes-to-the-nearest-bathroom\/\" title=\"Pinkerton: Biden&#039;s Great Reset Comes to the Nearest Bathroom\u00a0\">presidential executive order<\/a> aimed<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservatives-shred-nyt-science-reporter-complaining-about-scrutiny-of-trans-swimmer-lia-thomas\/\" title=\"Conservatives Shred NYT \u2018Science ...er\u2019 Complaining About \u2018Scrutiny\u2019 Of Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas\">excluding transgender athletes<\/a> from female sports teams. VHSL Executive Director Billy Haun emphasized the need to comply with the law to avoid potential penalties,including loss of federal funding.<\/p>\n<p>The policy change indicates that transgender students assigned male at birth will no longer be eligible to join girls&#8217; sports teams, except for cheerleading. Prior to this policy, students could appeal to play on a team that did not correspond with thier assigned sex, with a majority of those appeals being approved in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>The decision has sparked controversy, with advocates for transgender rights criticizing the VHSLS move as regressive and harmful. They argue it further alienates transgender individuals from participating in athletics. Conversely, supporters of the policy, including Virginia attorney General Jason Miyares, argue that it is indeed necessary to protect the fairness and integrity of women&#8217;s sports. Recent polls suggest that a important majority of the public supports this policy change.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Virginia readies to ratify policy protecting girls sports<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2102062\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A policy voted on in February to keep biological males out of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/womens-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">girls sports<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Virginia<\/a> high schools could be ratified this week.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/high-school\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Virginia High School League<\/a>&nbsp;is set to host its first in-person meeting on Wednesday since its vote to bar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transgender\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">transgender athletes<\/a> from competing on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">female teams<\/a>, and the major change to state policy could be finalized at the meeting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3402515\/legislators-debate-taxpayers-bill-of-rights\/\">Legislators debate whether to sue over taxpayer&#8217;s bill of rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3402514\/parents-medical-bill-of-rights-north-carolina-house\/\">Parents&#8217; Medical Bill of Rights gets House floor vote next<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3402512\/california-lost-jobs-march-welfare\/\">California lost 11,600 net jobs in March, nearly half of new jobs from welfare<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;Students who were assigned male at birth or are identifying as transgender females may not participate on a girls sports team other than cheerleading (PM 54-6-1 (4),&rdquo; VHSL policy, 28A &ndash; 8 -1, the<em><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1KqfNQfeuag0NfsMyfpG4zvRWsUZTvNK6\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">  Transgender Policy<\/a><\/em>, reads.<\/p>\n<p>The change was voted on during a special meeting following President Donald Trump&rsquo;s Feb. 5 executive order to keep biological males out of women&rsquo;s sports, with the aim of aligning Virginia policy with the order, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.29news.com\/2025\/05\/05\/virginia-prepares-ratify-policy-banning-transgender-girls-female-high-school-sports-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according<\/a> to a report.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not a league or an organization that wants to be in contempt of the law or not follow the law,&rdquo; VHSL Executive Director Billy Haun said. &ldquo;With a presidential executive order, we felt like we needed to do this.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Haun said any transgender athlete currently participating on a girls&rsquo; team will cease to be able to do so once the change goes into effect.<\/p>\n<p>No specific punishment has been outlined for violations of the change, the report noted, but Haun suggested that disciplinary action could be taken through ineligibility and forfeiture measures.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When you&rsquo;re talking about losing federal funding and those kinds of things, that&rsquo;s pretty serious stuff,&rdquo; Haun said.<\/p>\n<p>Prior policy allowed transgender athletes to submit an appeal to the VHSL if they wished to participate on a team that did not align with their sex assigned at birth.<\/p>\n<p>At least 30 appeals were received in the last four years, and 27 of them were approved, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p>Transgender allies are demanding that the VHSL change its course on ratifying the change.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For the VHSL to change what they&rsquo;re doing, that has been working for over a decade &hellip; it&rsquo;s disappointing, to say the least,&rdquo; said Shannon McKay,&nbsp;executive director of He She Ze and We, a nonprofit organization supporting transgender and non-binary individuals.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This scrutiny that happens, to have to prove who you are, that you&rsquo;re trans enough, is what keeps most trans folks out of athletics anyway,&rdquo; McKay added. &ldquo;I just think people are making this enormous deal over a small amount of people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Advocates protecting girls sports disagree and claim that change is a major step forward.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The inherent biological differences between boys and girls range from chromosomal and hormonal differences to physiological differences,&rdquo; Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Allowing biological boys to compete in girls&rsquo; sports is unfair. The science is clear, and I am glad the Virginia High School League is working to protect the rights of our young Virginia female athletes,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>The Family Foundation, a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >parental rights advocacy group<\/a>, echoed Miyares&rsquo;s sentiment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3402223\/glenn-youngkin-virginia-experiencing-exciting-moment-investment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">YOUNGKIN: VIRGINIA EXPERIENCING &lsquo;EXCITING MOMENT&rsquo; FOR INVESTMENT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our schools and athletic organizations have a responsibility to protect the bodily privacy and safety of young girls, and to ensure they don&rsquo;t have their chances to compete stolen by boys who already have their own athletic teams or clubs,&rdquo; said Todd Gathje, vice president of governmental rights.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;VHSL&rsquo;s decision to ratify these guidelines aligns with overwhelming public opinion with recent&nbsp;polls&nbsp;suggesting 75% support for this policy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2102062\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2102062\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virginia prepares to ratify policy safeguarding girls&#8217; sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2644,"featured_media":2431440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AP24233292487785-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[53272,54703,5468],"class_list":["post-2431439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-girls-sports-2","tag-policy-ratification","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/AP24233292487785-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2431439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2644"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2431439"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2431439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2431444,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2431439\/revisions\/2431444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2431440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2431439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2431439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2431439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}