Pennsylvania Republicans Aim to Ban Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports

A protester holds a sign outside the arena where Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas was competing in the 500-yard freestyle final at the NCAA women's swimming and diving championships, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga., on March 17, 2022. John Bazemore/AP Photo

Pennsylvania Republicans are moving to regulate gender fairness in competitive sports with the House Education Committee’s approval on Tuesday of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, House Bill 972. It would ensure that women and girls won’t have to compete against biological males who have become transgender and wish to participate in women’s sports.

Pennsylvania as of late has produced some of the most high-profile transgenders in the nation, including Dr. Rachel Levine and swimmer Lia Thomas. Levine is the former Pennsylvania secretary of health who was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Levine was recently named one of 12 “Women of the Year” by USA Today.