Steube and Tuberville Introduce Legislation to Prohibit Men from Competing in USA Women’s Olympic and Amateur Sports
Legislation Combats USA Boxing’s 2024 Transgender Policy
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohibit any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) from allowing men to participate in any athletic event intended for females. The bill modifies eligibility requirements for amateur sports governing organizations.
“Congress should not have to take legislative action to prevent biological men from hitting women for championship titles. Due to the illogical USA Boxing transgender policy, I introduced legislation to prevent organizations who choose to live in delusion from being recognized by the U.S. Olympic committee,” said Rep. Steube. “We must combat the erasure of women’s sports by standing for truth, reality, safety, and fairness.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Brian Babin (R-Texas), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.),Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), and David Kustoff (R-Tenn.).
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) introduced companion legislation today in the U.S. Senate.
“It is deeply disturbing to see USA Boxing change its policy to allow men to box against women,” said Coach Tuberville. “Men should not be competing in women’s sports at any level—and especially not in a sport like boxing. Whether in little league or the Olympics, it’s unsafe, it’s unfair, and it’s just plain wrong. This bill will ensure that the Olympics are fair to American women who train their whole lives to represent our country on the world stage.”
USA Boxing updated their National Rule Book to add a Transgender definition and link to a new Transgender Policy, effective on January 1, 2024. The policy states: “a boxer who transitions from male to female is eligible to compete in the female category” with certain conditions.
Under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, Congress chartered the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and allowed the organization to recognize governing bodies for individual sports. USA Boxing has been recognized by the USOC as the official governing body for boxing. The Act sets out a variety of requirements that must be followed by these individual governing bodies in order to be certified by USOC.
The legislation is supported by: Alliance Defending Freedom, American Principles Project, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Heritage Action, Independent Council on Women’s Sport (ICONS), Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), International Consortium on Female Sport (ICFS), Women’s Declaration International USA, and Women’s Liberation Front.
“As an athlete who has experienced the injustice of competing against a male firsthand, I’m grateful for the leadership of Representative Steube and Senator Tuberville. They have made it clear that they will fight for fairness, privacy, and safety for girls and women in sports,” said Riley Gaines, 12x NCAA All American Swimmer and Independent Women’s Forum Ambassador.
“Now and always, women and girls deserve a fair and level playing field. Males possess clear biological advantages, and this is exemplified as female athletes lose medals, podium spots, public recognition, and opportunities to compete. We applaud Rep. Greg Steube and Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s leadership in bringing forth this legislation to keep any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) from allowing males to compete in athletic events designated for females. Women and girls should never be spectators in their sport. This bill protects athletic opportunities for every female athlete,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer.“Women’s sports are for women, period. It’s incredible that this even needs to be stated, never mind legislated. Yet today, thanks to the spread of left-wing gender ideology through our institutions, female athletes are losing opportunities and awards to biological males all across the sports world. Congress must get involved to address the injustice, which is why we urge members to join Rep. Steube and Senator Tuberville in supporting this bill,” said American Principles Project President Terry Schilling.
“One story of a female athlete injured by a male in her own sport should be enough for sports authorities to back off from their egregious policies. Unfortunately, more leagues are doing nothing to stop biological males from invading women’s competition – ultimately hurting women,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy organization for women. “The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act comes as Lia Thomas is suing to try to steal a spot on the women’s Olympic swim team from another hardworking female athlete. This commonsense bill should be supported by every Member of Congress. I look forward to its passage as we continue to march forward to protect women and girls in sports.”
“Men do not belong in women’s sports—period. The Left’s obsession with prioritizing progressive ideology over common sense has destroyed the protections female athletes fought for decades to achieve. No American woman competing for our country should be forced into unsafe, unfair competition. Rep. Steube and Senator Tuberville’s bill sides with the vast majority of Americans who believe in saving women’s sports,” saidRyan Walker, Executive Vice President, Heritage Action.
“In the United States, it is long past time for women to have the assurance of a safe and level playing field. Men do not belong in the boxing ring or on the playing field, demanding to compete against women. Representative Steube and Senator Tuberville’s bill, The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, stands up for what we all know: female athletes deserve dignity, safety and equal opportunities in sports. It is the responsibility of the government and the USOC to ensure the women’s category is reserved for female athletes,” said Independent Council on Women’s Sport (ICONS).
“Allowing even a single female athlete to be displaced by a biological male is discriminatory, and it is unacceptable. We are grateful for Representative Steube and Senator Tuberville’s leadership and for their efforts to protect equal athletic opportunities for both sexes,” said Jennifer Braceras, Vice President for Legal Policy, Independent Women’s Forum.
“The International Consortium on Female Sport stands by the principle that every sport must have a female-only category at every age for safety and fairness. Any policy that permits the inclusion of males in female competition invites and celebrates humiliation, violence, and wholesale discrimination against the female athlete. We support The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which will secure a deserving place for women and girls to participate and succeed in their own sports category,” said International Consortium on Female Sport (ICFS).
“Women’s Declaration International USA is proud to support the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. Our support is based on Articles 1 and 7 of the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, which is grounded in radical feminism and reaffirms that the rights of women and girls are based on the category of sex, where sex refers to reproductive biology, and that women as a sex class have the right to the same opportunities as men to participate actively in sports and physical education,” said Kara Dansky, President, Women’s Declaration International USA.
“Governing bodies of sports have been admitting male athletes who are pretending to be female into women’s sports, to the detriment of women and girls. They’ve capitulated to gender ideologues who demand ‘inclusivity’. USA Boxing is now taking this ideology to its most dangerous extreme in allowing men into women’s boxing. No one believes that female competitors will not be seriously injured, or even killed. USA Boxing will then hand her trophy to a man. This is heinous, and insane, and exactly why we work to defend the rights of women and girls,” said Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF).
Rep. Steube is the longtime sponsor of H.R. 734 The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The legislation passed the U.S. House on April 20, 2023 and continues to await a vote in the U.S. Senate. The bill allows women and girls a fair playing field in sports by ensuring that school athletics comply with the Title IX recognition of a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth. This bill ensures that biological females compete against other biological females in women’s sports that are operated, sponsored, or facilitated by a recipient of federal funding.
