Transgender Congress member 'mystified' that GOP 'prioritizes' trans athlete bans in girls sports

Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, blasted Republicans for focusing on keeping transgender athletes out of girls and women's sports.

Delaware, the state where McBride won election to serve as the representative of its at-large district, does not have laws restricting trans athletes from participating in sports that do not align with their gender at birth.

"I've had conversations with colleagues about many of the bills that are coming before us and certainly have heard from some colleagues who, like me, are mystified that this is a priority for a Republican conference that is entering a Republican trifecta, that this is an issue that they prioritize," she told The Independent recently. 

"And it defies understanding, except for the fact that it's a pretty obvious part of a politics of misdirection and distraction."

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Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., reintroduced a measure earlier this week to prevent biological male participation in women's and girls sports in the Republican-led Senate. With the approval of leadership, it's expected to get a floor vote. 

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act has been a years-long crusade for the Alabama Republican, who originally introduced it in 2023.

The measure would maintain that Title IX treats gender as "recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth" and does not adjust it to apply to gender identity. 

Twenty-eight states have limitations on trans athletes participating in sports that align with their gender identity.

Since McBride's election, there has been a battle on Capitol Hill about whether McBride should be allowed to use women's restrooms.

Tuberville's legislation would ban federal funding from going to athletic programs that allow biological men to participate in women's and girls sports.  

President-elect Trump has said he would "ban" transgender athletes born male from participating in girls and women's sports.

President Biden recently dropped potential protections for transgender athletes.

"President Trump ran on the issue of saving women’s sports and won in a landslide," Tuberville, a former college football coach, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Seventy percent of Americans agree — men don’t belong in women’s sports or locker rooms. I have said many times that I think Title IX is one of the best things to come out of Washington. But in the last few years, it has been destroyed.

"While I’m glad that the Biden administration ultimately rescinded the proposed rule, Congress has to ensure this never happens again. I am welcoming my first granddaughter this spring and won’t stop fighting until her rights to fairly compete are protected. I hope every one of my colleagues will join me in standing up for our daughters, nieces and granddaughters by voting for this critical bill."

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

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