Protecting women's sports

The growing number of instances of biological men, who identify as women, competing in women’s sports over the last several years has led to states and the federal government taking action to protect women’s sports. Earlier this year, President Trump signed an Executive Order that would revoke federal funding for any schools that allow biological men to compete against women in athletic competitions. The House of Representatives passed, with my support, the “Protecting of Women and Girls in Sports Act” to preserve a level playing field for girls and women across the country.

In spite of the executive order, the state of Washington continues to allow biological men to compete against women, threatening federal funding that is crucial to rural schools’ budgets. School districts across the state - including Kennewick, Moses Lake, Warden, Tumwater and Gonzaga Prep to name a few - are taking a stand against the state’s actions, and I am fully committed to helping them in their fight to defend their daughters, nieces, and granddaughters.

Last week I spoke with Dr. Josh Miller of the Kennewick school board and his family about the effort to conduct a federal investigation into the state of Washington, and my office has been in direct contact with the White House to do just that.

There is no excuse for this practice to continue, for the sake of female athletes’ safety and fairness in competition. Title IX was adopted to help boost female engagement in athletics and has a longstanding record of opening doors for young women to compete. Now, the disregard for this law is leading to physical injuries to female athletes that are forced by states to compete against stronger and larger biological males who pose serious risks to their safety in sports. Meanwhile off the field, track, and court, our female athletes must also face the reality of having biological males share their locker rooms.

We should be in the business of encouraging young females to pursue excellence in sports, supporting their dreams of competing in championships on a level playing field, and ensuring their safety while doing so. They deserve better, their parents deserve better, and the state of Washington’s refusal to implement policies that protect female athletes has serious potential implications for schools and districts. Washington should rethink their position, and we should all continue to fight to protect women’s sports.