While the Republican Party has launched a massive attack on transgender Americans as part of a broader culture war in recent months, much of the action has been taking place in statehouses across the country. But with the GOP now in control of the House of Representatives, the battle has shifted to Washington, DC
On Wednesday, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on two bills that address the Republican Party’s supercharged focus on targeting transgender youth.
H.R. 734, in Protecting Women and Girls in Sports ActBill that seeks to ban trans girls from agencies in sports, and HR 5, the Parental Rights Actlegislation that calls for parents to have more of a say in what educators teach and removes the right of LGBTQ youth to speak to school staff without parental notification.
Hundreds of anti-trans bills have been introduced at the state level, many of which have become law. However, the bill at the federal level marks a new phase in which the conservative movement wants to make offensive transgender people a national project. Neither the Senate nor the president will approve such an attack – for now. But that could change in less than two years.
While Democrats came to the hearing prepared with research, statistics and anecdotal evidence from LGBTQ people, the GOP offered points that could be lifted from the average right-wing Facebook group commenter.
Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) has repeatedly suggested that the Biden administration is seeking to “eradicate women,” starting with allowing trans girls to play sports on teams that match their gender identity. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) posited that he would like to have a public hearing so that Americans can see that the Democrats “do not believe that God created the science of sex.”
Meanwhile, Democrats have pointedly noted that the bill is part of the GOP’s ongoing culture war against anyone who isn’t white, straight, conservative and cisgender.
“This is just a false sense of moral panic being ginned up by a political party that seeks to use trans kids as pawns to gain power,” Rep. Mark Takano (D-Ca.) said.
This GOP bill is not responding to an issue of national concern but to self-created outrage.
Last year, the Biden administration proposed changes to Title IX, legislation banning sex-based discrimination in schools and universities, which would extend protections to LGBTQ students. However, the White House did not say whether this clearly means that this change includes allowing trans athletes to participate in sports with teams that match their gender identity. The Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act was a direct reaction to the proposal — though it made no changes to Title IX.
The one-page bill states that “gender should be recognized only on the basis of reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” However, it does not explain how schools should determine the reproductive biology of students.
The proposal, while vague, would exclude transgender athletes from school sports. Simply put, it’s discrimination. Not only fly in the face of the team’s sports goals, but also weaponizes the federal government against the minuscule part of the population already at greater risk for mental health problems, including depression and suicidal ideation.
There are only about 50 transgender athletes participating in collegiate level sports. Acknowledging this number, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said, “It’s ludicrous to suggest that some of these athletes … justify national Congressional action.”
But the GOP says the bill is necessary to protect women and girls in sports, even though the bill does nothing to address the real problems in women’s sports — pay disparity, harassment. and discrimination.
Another bill discussed at the hearing is another popular idea among conservatives.
Popularized in places like Florida and Virginia, parental rights have become a policy that seeks to inject conservative dogma into public schools, remove books that Republican politicians don’t like, and ultimately, destroy the public school system to push charter schools. and private schools—to line their pockets.
The Parents Bill of Rights is more substantial than the anti-trans bill. Democrats are concerned about a provision that calls for distribution of library book lists to all parents.
While Republicans consider it transparency, conservative parents across the country has led accusations of book bans by saying that books on LGBTQ issues are “inappropriate” or “pornographic.” They’ve been successful in getting school districts to remove the books, and federal bills like this one will only empower more parents.
Another provision of the bill would require school officials to disclose private conversations with students. Again, the GOP insists that this is an important part of parents’ rights, but ignores why transgender students can come out to school but need privacy from their parents, such as in cases of abuse.
It is unlikely that this pair of bills will become law. But with the GOP now in control of the House, the party has made it clear that bills like these that target LGBTQ people and cater to their strongest supporters are at the top of their agenda. Despite the many issues facing Americans, the GOP has been clear: Attacking trans people is a top priority.