Apr. 05, 2021
By Rep. Clint Owlett
(R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter)
Did you know that in 2018, 275 high school boys ran the 400 meter faster than the lifetime best of Olympic Team USA member and world-record-holding sprinter Allyson Felix? It’s a fact that perfectly illustrates why we need to ensure only biological females are eligible to participate in women’s sports.
I joined several colleagues this week in introducing such legislation in response to an executive order by President Joe Biden that attempts to require biological males be permitted to compete on women’s’ sports teams. Why, you might ask yourself, is this male legislator getting involved in what some might consider a women’s issue?
It’s partly personal, as I have four young children, including a daughter, and I want to see that she has the opportunity to compete fairly and on a level playing field with her peers. But it goes far beyond what I want for my own daughter. It’s what I believe every young girl and adult woman deserves, not only in sports but in life.
Nearly 50 years ago, Congress recognized the educational aspect of school sports and adopted Title IX to require educational institutions to stop discrimination and create equal athletic opportunities for women. Allowing anyone other than biological females to compete in women’s sports would effectively erase any progress that has been made.
Under this order, schools could see themselves lose out on federal funding if they don’t comply with the requirement…and that could hurt all students. If a school does comply, women and girls are harmed when they miss out on the opportunity for fair competition and all the benefits it brings. Playing sports is not just about athletic ability…it’s about creating a strong work ethic, learning to work together as a team and developing the ability to accept that you’re not always going to win.
Science clearly tells us that men and women are biologically different, with men having the ability to develop greater strength, speed and endurance than similarly gifted and trained women. Allowing faster and stronger biological males to compete with biological females is not just about who wins or loses a game or meet. It could well rob a young woman of an athletic scholarship that would give her the financial ability to attend a school she couldn’t otherwise afford and set her up for success in the career of her choosing.
Let’s do the right thing for our female athletes and aspiring female athletes. Let’s protect and preserve women’s sports for biological women only.
Representative Clint Owlett
68th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
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