"However, this is bad news for lesbians, gay men, pregnant women, and sexual abuse survivors, who would have received new protections. It’s one of many times when attempts to hitch the weighty and problematic T to the fragile LGB-rights wagon has damaged the entire caravan."
Great round-up! Heads up, the House may be voting as early as tomorrow (Tuesday) on the Sports bill. Below is sample text to contact your House member to urge them to vote yes:
Subject: Vote Yes on H.R. 28, “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025”
Dear [Representative]:
I am your constituent and a lifelong Democrat. I write to urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote YES on H.R. 28, ”Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025,” to secure the opportunity for safe and fair sports for girls and women that Title IX was enacted to guarantee.
Safe and fair athletic competition for girls and women was the clear goal of Title IX. That goal has been severely undermined: among other things, to date, almost 6,000 sports top three finishes have been by boys and men who were allowed entry into the female category. https://www.hecheated.org/totals_results_2020s
This is unsafe, unfair, and wrong. Accordingly, I implore you to vote yes on H.R. 28.
Hi, Mariah! So, now that this has passed the House (Cuellar and Gonzalez of Texas voted yes, but not Suozzi or Moulton), I have come back to your great post here on the question of the Senate bill, which has you note, does not contain the added paragraph. I’d appreciate your view, if you have time, on what we should be saying if we call our Senators. It seems to me the Senate needs to amend the House language—though perhaps that can be done in reconciliation, if I am recalling how this generally works. Of course, it may be filibustered in the Senate, but good to be prepared!
Tell them to vote yes. :-) That's all they need to know from constituents. Not sure they need to amend that language since it did pass and we don't know Senators' concerns yet. They may need to add details to counteract the "genital checks" myth that the Dems screamed about. (I watched some of it. Hard to watch, tho. So much misinformation and rage.) A simple cheek swab is a q-tip in the cheek. It can tell, once and for all, whether someone is XX or XY. As is also noted on all school sports participation forms starting at a young age, signed by physicians, based on birth certificates. And yes, these "genital inspections" happen at birth, b/c babies are born naked and easily observed to be male or female in 99.8 percent of the cases.
Just want to support that babies are born naked. Two babies popped out of me and not a stitch on 'em. Ha Ha
Seriously, people are so quick to accept things that are wrong. I mean we get Ancestry info with a q-tip, not hard to think it also exposes our sex chromosomes.
The scare tactic of genital inspections might need to be addressed, as I noted above. But he's just wrong about coed sports - no one is against coed sports whenever kids or adults want to play those. It's only female sports that we need to remain female. And boys also have an advantage pre-puberty, which Moulton does not seem to know yet. We have vast info on our website, starting here: https://womenssportspolicy.org/the-resolution/
Thanks for all, Mariah, and for the reminder of the huge amount of information the sports policy group has amassed, including the excellent information showing pre-pubertal advantage. Agree, too, how hard it was to watch the Democrats make abject fools of themselves in the hearing. The sign alone was beyond contemplation. I have written my two Senators (Schumer and Gillibrand) as follows, which I think/hope comports with your excellent advice:
I am your constituent and a lifelong, progressive Democrat. I write to urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote YES on S. 9, the ”Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025,” to secure the opportunity for safe and fair sports for girls and women that Title IX was enacted to guarantee.
The false, scare-mongering “genital inspection” moral panic on public display among Democrats in the House on January 14 was a complete and utter embarrassment. I believe the Democrats need to win in 2026. I do not see how that can happen so long as my party embraces the bizarre idea that males who raise their hands and say they are women are anything other than men.
Please, release yourselves from the grip of gender identity ideology and vote yes on S. 9.
I appreciate your crisp, forthright discussions of this very important topic.
Thanks Hilary.
"However, this is bad news for lesbians, gay men, pregnant women, and sexual abuse survivors, who would have received new protections. It’s one of many times when attempts to hitch the weighty and problematic T to the fragile LGB-rights wagon has damaged the entire caravan."
THANK-YOU for not overlooking this.
Yes, a big concern! Our reputation, too, is taking a hit. Painful to hear so many anti-gay sentiments re-emerging.
Great round-up! Heads up, the House may be voting as early as tomorrow (Tuesday) on the Sports bill. Below is sample text to contact your House member to urge them to vote yes:
The House bill text is here: https://steube.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01-03-Protection-of-Women-and-Girls-in-Sports-Act-Text.pdf
Sample text:
Subject: Vote Yes on H.R. 28, “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025”
Dear [Representative]:
I am your constituent and a lifelong Democrat. I write to urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote YES on H.R. 28, ”Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025,” to secure the opportunity for safe and fair sports for girls and women that Title IX was enacted to guarantee.
Safe and fair athletic competition for girls and women was the clear goal of Title IX. That goal has been severely undermined: among other things, to date, almost 6,000 sports top three finishes have been by boys and men who were allowed entry into the female category. https://www.hecheated.org/totals_results_2020s
This is unsafe, unfair, and wrong. Accordingly, I implore you to vote yes on H.R. 28.
Sincerely yours,
There is now a companion bill live in the Senate. I suspect it will be voted on ASAP when the House passed the bill. The text for the Senate bill is here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119s9pcs/pdf/BILLS-119s9pcs.pdf
Hi Susan, Thanks for adding this action step, complete with sample text and links. Much appreciated.
Hi, Mariah! So, now that this has passed the House (Cuellar and Gonzalez of Texas voted yes, but not Suozzi or Moulton), I have come back to your great post here on the question of the Senate bill, which has you note, does not contain the added paragraph. I’d appreciate your view, if you have time, on what we should be saying if we call our Senators. It seems to me the Senate needs to amend the House language—though perhaps that can be done in reconciliation, if I am recalling how this generally works. Of course, it may be filibustered in the Senate, but good to be prepared!
Yes!
Tell them to vote yes. :-) That's all they need to know from constituents. Not sure they need to amend that language since it did pass and we don't know Senators' concerns yet. They may need to add details to counteract the "genital checks" myth that the Dems screamed about. (I watched some of it. Hard to watch, tho. So much misinformation and rage.) A simple cheek swab is a q-tip in the cheek. It can tell, once and for all, whether someone is XX or XY. As is also noted on all school sports participation forms starting at a young age, signed by physicians, based on birth certificates. And yes, these "genital inspections" happen at birth, b/c babies are born naked and easily observed to be male or female in 99.8 percent of the cases.
Just want to support that babies are born naked. Two babies popped out of me and not a stitch on 'em. Ha Ha
Seriously, people are so quick to accept things that are wrong. I mean we get Ancestry info with a q-tip, not hard to think it also exposes our sex chromosomes.
Allied to my earlier Q: this is Moulton’s statement on why he voted no. On the House side, I thought the bill, at least in a way, addressed concerns like these, but do you think there is anything in what he writes that ought to be considered? http://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/vote-explainer-protection-women-and-girls-sports-act-hr-28
The scare tactic of genital inspections might need to be addressed, as I noted above. But he's just wrong about coed sports - no one is against coed sports whenever kids or adults want to play those. It's only female sports that we need to remain female. And boys also have an advantage pre-puberty, which Moulton does not seem to know yet. We have vast info on our website, starting here: https://womenssportspolicy.org/the-resolution/
Thanks for all, Mariah, and for the reminder of the huge amount of information the sports policy group has amassed, including the excellent information showing pre-pubertal advantage. Agree, too, how hard it was to watch the Democrats make abject fools of themselves in the hearing. The sign alone was beyond contemplation. I have written my two Senators (Schumer and Gillibrand) as follows, which I think/hope comports with your excellent advice:
I am your constituent and a lifelong, progressive Democrat. I write to urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote YES on S. 9, the ”Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025,” to secure the opportunity for safe and fair sports for girls and women that Title IX was enacted to guarantee.
The false, scare-mongering “genital inspection” moral panic on public display among Democrats in the House on January 14 was a complete and utter embarrassment. I believe the Democrats need to win in 2026. I do not see how that can happen so long as my party embraces the bizarre idea that males who raise their hands and say they are women are anything other than men.
Please, release yourselves from the grip of gender identity ideology and vote yes on S. 9.