Athlete Ally Responds to House Passage of HR 734
April 20, 2023 — Athlete Ally responded today to news that Federal Trans & Intersex Sports Ban, H.R. 734, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 734 seeks to stipulate that Title IX compliance would require a federal ban of transgender & intersex girls and women from participating in sports. Although the bill is unlikely to pass the Senate and Biden has vowed to veto it if it reaches his desk, the existence of this bill in itself is extremely alarming, and symptomatic of the overall climate surrounding transgender, nonbinary and intersex youth in sports.
“Make no mistake: HR 734 is part of a national effort to target and dehumanize LGBTQI+ people. There has been a tidal wave of legislation attempting to sideline transgender, nonbinary and intersex athletes from the sports that bring them joy, invaluable lessons on teamwork and discipline, and lifelong friendships,” said Hudson Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “In the repudiation of this bill, including the open letter to House Representatives signed by elite athletes like Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, we have proof that there is an equally powerful force fighting for equality and inclusion.
Athlete Ally is proud to be at the front of that fight, and we are tremendously grateful to every athlete who signed the open letter, every partner organization who joins us in championing equality, every House Representative who voted against this cruel and discriminatory bill, and to President Biden for calling this bill exactly what it is: discriminatory. Our transgender, nonbinary and intersex youth deserve to be exactly who they are in all parts of their life, and to experience the lifesaving power of sports.”