Sarah McBride slams Republicans for attempted trans sports ban: ‘Defies understanding’
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The first openly transgender lawmaker exclusively tells The Independent that Republicans’ prioritization of the legislation leaves her “mystified that this is a priority” for the GOP. Newly-elected Rep Sarah McBride, the first openly-transgender member of Congress, criticized Republican efforts to restrict transgender youth from competing in women’s sports, saying that she is “mystified that this is a priority”.
Last Friday the House voted on its rules package, which determines how the House of Representatives will conduct itself in terms of procedure, and also outlined a series of legislation considered priority. At the top of the list is legislation that would change the determination for compliance with Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal dollars.
The law would amend the term “sex” to be defined as “sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” Republicans focused heavily on trans girls playing in women’s sports throughout the 2024 election campaign in House, Senate and presidential races.
McBride said that she had spoken with her Democratic colleagues about the legislation, and they are equally frustrated. “I've had conversations with colleagues about many of the bills that are coming before us, and certainly have heard from some colleagues who, like me, are mystified that this is a priority for a Republican conference that is entering a Republican trifecta, that this is an issue that they prioritize,” she told The Independent on Friday. “And it defies understanding, except for the fact that it's a pretty obvious part of a politics of misdirection and distraction.”.
