Pfluger Votes to Protect Female Athletes

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) voted to pass legislation that will protect female athletes in Texas and across America. The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 will prevent biological men from competing in women's sports by reinforcing Title IX protections and defining standards for athletic competition by a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth.

In his speech on the House floor in support of this legislation, Congressman Pfluger said in part, "Female athletes should never be subject to compete against biological men in sports, plain and simple. Allowing biological men to compete in female sports is not only a complete and utter failure to women who have trained their whole lives to achieve their dreams, but it also completely ignores the scientific fact that men and women have clear biological differences that make competing on the same sports team unfair and dangerous... As a father of three girls who play sports, this issue is very personal to me. I desire to see my daughters succeed in their sports, to feel safe in their locker rooms and bathrooms, and to be protected by their educational institutions. That is why we must pass this legislation today."

Watch Congressman Pfluger's full remarks on the House floor in support of this legislation here or read them as delivered below.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.

Female athletes should never be subject to compete against biological men in sports, plain and simple. Allowing biological men to compete in female sports is not only a complete and utter failure to women who have trained their whole lives to achieve their dreams, but it also completely ignores the scientific fact that men and women have clear biological differences that make competing on the same sports team unfair and dangerous.

Mr. Speaker, just last year, the Biden administration tried to push a radical Title IX change that would have prevented any institution receiving federal funding from banning biological men from competing in women's sports. That is insane. Educational institutions have a responsibility to protect the women and girls that attend them, and this legislation ensures that they will be able to do just that.

Let me be clear, allowing biological men to compete in women's sports hurts women. It takes away opportunities, scholarship funds, and titles that are meant for women. It takes away a woman's right to feel safe and comfortable in her locker room. As a father of three girls who play sports, this issue is very personal to me. I desire to see my daughters succeed in their sports, to feel safe in their locker rooms and bathrooms, and to be protected by their educational institutions. That is why we must pass this legislation today.

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports will prevent schools from allowing biological men to compete in women's sports by defining sex in an athletic competition by genetics at birth. I thank the gentlemen and my good friend from Florida, Mr. Stuebe, for leading this legislation and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I yield back.