EXCLUSIVE: Republican Rep. Greg Steube and Sen. Tommy Tuberville will introduce a bicameral bill that would block biological men from participating in any U.S. Olympic Committee event intended for women, Fox News Digital has learned.
The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act would prohibit any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) from allowing biological men to participate in any female athletic event.
The bill, obtained by Fox News Digital, defines a female as “an individual who has, had, will have — or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident — the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for fertilization.”
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla, walks to the Capitol for a vote April 27, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The bill defines a male as “an individual who has, had, will have — or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident — the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization.”
The bill “prohibits a person whose sex is male from participating in an amateur athletic competition that is designated for females, women, or girls.”
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“Congress should not have to take legislative action to prevent biological men from hitting women for championship titles,” Steube told Fox News Digital. “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.”
Steube, who will introduce the House version of the bill Thursday morning, added, “We must combat the erasure of women’s sports by standing for truth, reality, safety and fairness.”
Tuberville, R-Ala., will also introduce a companion bill in the Senate Thursday.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol Building April 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker)
“It is deeply disturbing to see USA Boxing change its policy to allow men to box against women,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital. “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.”
The bill comes after USA Boxing announced its new policy, which states that both transgender men and women are allowed to compete in the biological divisions. The requirements to compete in each category include:
- A declaration by the athlete that their gender is either male or female, and they have completed gender surgery accordingly.
- The athlete in question has completed quarterly hormone testing for a minimum of four years post-surgery.
- For transgender women competitors, the athlete must demonstrate testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L for at least 48 months prior to the first competition.
- For transgender men, testosterone levels must be maintained at a level above 10 nmol/L throughout the period of the competitor’s eligibility to compete in the male category.
USA Boxing is the latest sports organization to make allowances for transgender competitors to compete in the gendered divisions they identify with. After the regulations were first drafted in August 2022, the policy became effective Jan. 1, 2024.
The House version of the bill is cosponsored by Republican representatives Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Randy Weber of Texas, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Paul Gosar of Arizona, William Timmons of South Carolina, Erin Houchin of Indiana, Neal Dunn of Florida, Doug LaMalfa of California and Brian Babin of Texas.
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Last year, Steube also sponsored The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The legislation passed the U.S. House April 20, 2023, and awaits 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. That 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.
