Hello from the State Capitol,
Yesterday, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that males who consider themselves a different gender have the right to compete on female teams.
This decision will be nothing but problematic for female athletes in our state.
Is it fair or safe for a girl to get clobbered by a biological male on the basketball court? Would it be OK for the fastest girl in Minnesota to finish seconds behind a boy at the state track meet? Girls should not be forced to participate against boys in female athletics. It’s not just common sense, it’s federal law.
The federal Title IX law guarantees women and girls the right to compete on a level playing field. However, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that preventing a transgender athlete from competing in USA Powerlifting’s women’s division is “facially discriminatory” under Minnesota’s Human Rights Act.
8 out of 10 Americans believe girls sports should only be reserved for girls, including 67% of Democrats, according to a New York Times poll.
The legislature must pass the Preserving Girls Sports Act next session in order to right this wrong. The proposal specifically states that only students of the female sex may participate in an elementary or secondary school athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls. If there is a dispute, a student must present a signed physician’s statement indicating the student’s sex is based solely on the student’s internal and external anatomy, natural occurring level of testosterone, and an analysis of the student’s chromosomes.
With the Minnesota House in a statistical tie between Republicans and Democrats, one Democrat will need to break ranks with their party bosses and put girls’ interests first if the bill is to gain approval.
In my opinion, Minnesota’s all-liberal Supreme Court got this one very wrong. The legislature now must make it very clear that girls should not be forced to play against boys in female athletics.
KEEP IN TOUCH
As always, if you ever have any legislative questions, please contact me. I can be reached at rep.steven.jacob@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651.296.2273.
Have a good weekend,
Steve