Rumble Boxing Tampa (File) Florida Representative Greg Steube today introduced The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohib
Florida Representative Greg Steube 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.”
Read: Top UFC Fighter Rips Boxing Authority’s Decision To Allow Men To Fight Women
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.
The USOC has recognized USA Boxing as the official governing body for boxing.
Read: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio Urges USA Boxing To ‘Recover’ Their Common Sense
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.
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.
Read: Former University Of Pennsylvania Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Waging Olympic Legal Battle
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.
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