US House passes bill protecting equal athletic opportunities for women
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom CEO, President, and General Counsel Kristen Waggoner regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage Tuesday of H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which protects women’s sports by affirming that allowing males to compete on women’s teams violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for federally funded schools and colleges:
“Girls shouldn’t be spectators in their own sports. Allowing males who identify as female to compete in girls’ sports ignores the biological differences between the sexes—destroying fair competition and erasing women’s athletic prospects. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act reaffirms the vital protections for women’s sports guaranteed by Title IX, ensuring that women and girls truly have equal athletic opportunities. As we continue to witness increasing incidents nationwide of males dominating girls’ athletic competitions, it is imperative to affirm that biology, not identity, is what matters in athletics. We commend Rep. Greg Steube and his colleagues for their unwavering support of this critical legislation, and we thank Speaker Mike Johnson and the U.S. House of Representatives for making its passage a top priority in the new year. It is encouraging to see Congress take an early, strong stand for women and girls. The Senate should now promptly consider and pass this critically important legislation.”
ADF attorneys have worked with lawmakers in many of the 25 states with laws protecting women’s sports and are currently litigating multiple women’s sports cases across the country including two lawsuits before the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, a federal district court recently issued a decision in State of Tennessee v. Cardona—one of ADF’s Title IX lawsuits—that blocks the Biden administration’s unlawful attempt to change the meaning of “sex” in Title IX to include “gender identity.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Kristen Waggoner
As the CEO, president, and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, Kristen Waggoner leads the faith-based organization in advancing every person's God-given right to live and speak the truth in the U.S. and around the world. She oversees more than 450 ADF team members in 10 global offices. Since 2011, ADF has won 15 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, three of which were argued by Waggoner: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Uzuebgunam v. Presczewski, and 303 Creative v. Elenis. ADF also has a strong record of international success at the European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, and other leading courts and tribunals and has secured the release of more than 1,000 imprisoned Christians. After clerking with Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders, Waggoner practiced law for over 16 years at a Seattle firm before joining ADF in 2013. She is Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent™ in Martindale-Hubbell. Waggoner is a sought-after public speaker who often appears in national and international media outlets.