Latest news with #PreservingGirls'SportsAct
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump admin responds to Minnesota's lawsuit to let trans athletes in girls' sports: 'Creepy and anti-women'
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Department of Justice on Tuesday to ensure that states can continue letting biologically male trans athletes play in girls' sports. The White House has responded to the lawsuit, condemning Ellison for taking legal action to enable trans inclusion. "Why would a grown man sue the Trump administration to allow other biological males to participate in women's sports? This is creepy and anti-woman," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital. Ellison made the announcement at a press conference after months of the state defying Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. Ellison claimed he had received notice from the Department of Justice threatening legal action if the state did not follow the executive order. "I'm not going to sit around waiting for the Trump administration to sue Minnesota. Today, Minnesota is suing him and his administration because we will not participate in this shameful bullying," Ellison said. "We will not let a small group of vulnerable children who are only trying be healthy and live their lives be demonized." Ellison's lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, argues that the Trump administration does not have the authority to set states' athletic gender eligibility policies through an executive order. Minnesota is the first state to sue the Department of Justice over threats to cut funding for letting trans athletes play in girls' sports, and the second state to sue the Trump administration over the issue. Maine has filed a lawsuit against Trump after the Department of Agriculture cut funding to the state on April 2, and a federal judge has already ruled the USDA must unfreeze the funding. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state for its ongoing defiance of Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. Maine has faced federal pressure in the last two months over its refusal to comply, including two federal investigations, a funding freeze and now a lawsuit. When Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the lawsuit against Maine at a press conference last week, she said Minnesota and California could be next. "We're looking at Minnesota. We're looking at California. We're looking at many, many states but they are the top two that should be on notice because we've been communicating with them," Bondi said. After Trump's executive order, the Minnesota State High School League announced it would defy federal law by allowing transgender athletes to continue playing in women's sports. Ellison's office stated that "based on the plain language of the statute, educational institutions and the Minnesota State High School League would violate the MHRA by prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in extracurricular activities consistent with their gender identity." Minnesota's state legislature failed to pass the "Preserving Girls' Sports Act" in early March, which would have stated that "only female students may participate in an elementary or secondary school level athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted to women and girls." The bill fell short in the state's House of Representatives, with 67 of the 68 votes needed to pass. Gov. Tim Walz was expected to veto the bill had it gone to his desk. Former Minnesota Vikings and University of Minnesota football player Jack Brewer lobbied for the bill, and had told Fox News Digital he found Walz's pro-trans stances "disgusting," especially considering Walz was a football coach at Mankato West High School in the 1990s. "It's absolutely disgusting, and it's why, when you see him and you see his mannerisms and the way he carries himself, you know this guy doesn't appeal to real men and boys who have battled it out on the gridiron, man. I have nothing in common with this guy," Brewer said. "I think he's a disgrace to the football world to be honest." A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Minnesota lawmaker calls bill banning trans athletes from women's sports 'state sanctioned genocide'
A Democratic Minnesota state representative on Monday said that a bill aiming to limit women's sports to biological women was "another version of state-sanctioned bullying and genocide." "And I don't say that lightly," Rep. Liish Kozlowski, who identifies as "non-binary," said on the Minnesota State Capitol's House floor. The representative also claimed to be the "only two-spirit" representative in Minnesota and the U.S. "Problematic bills like HF12, a bill to bully trans and non-binary kids… It's not about fairness in sports, it's about erasing trans girls, non-binary, and two-spirit kids and people from public life," "I can assure you that our children will not stop being transgender just because you try to remove us from sports," Kozlowski said. The bill did not pass as it needed 68 votes and was struck down along party lines in a 67-66 resulting vote. The representative also called the proposal, formally titled the "Preserving Girls' Sports Act," "a bill to bully trans girls and non-binary kids." "As politicians and unelected billionaires from the White House to here in the Minnesota House, we're seeing this doubling down of efforts in an agenda of division of stoking fear, of stoking harm on our communities," Kozlowski said. The measure HF12, sponsored by Republican Rep. Peggy Scott, defines "female" to mean that a female is "biologically determined by genetics and defined with respect to an individual's reproductive system." "We cannot allow our girls to be vulnerable to losing their spot on the team, being on the podium, or to injury by a male teammate or male competitor," Scott said. "That is not safe and that is not fair to our girls," she added. Minnesota lawmakers' clash over HF12 comes after President Donald Trump signed the "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order, fulfilling one of his major campaign promises of keeping biological men out of girls' and women's sports. After Trump's executive order, the Minnesota State High School League reportedly announced that they are defying federal law by allowing transgender athletes to continue playing in women's sports. Per the Minnesota Attorney General's office, the Minnesota State High School League's decision to allow transgender athletes to participate in women's sports does not violate the state's constitution. If they were to ban transgender athletes from women's sports, it would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act in the state's constitution. The Minnesota Attorney General's Office stated that "based on the plain language of the statute, educational institutions and the Minnesota State High School League would violate the MHRA by prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in extracurricular activities consistent with their gender identity." Furthermore, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a warning to California, Maine and Minnesota to comply with the federal anti-discrimination laws that require them to keep boys out of women's sports. States defying federal law could face legal action. Kozlowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
California college faces backlash for replacing men's, women's locker rooms with all-sex locker rooms
The University of California, Davis, has announced plans to convert its men's and women's locker rooms in its recreation centers into "universal" all-sex locker rooms. The decision has prompted outrage from women's rights activists. The university announced the renovation project in February, claiming it was doing away with the old locker room format for the purpose of "inclusivity. "We value inclusive, accessible environments that accommodate the diverse needs of our community. We are pleased to announce that we will be remodeling the current locker room facilities to implement universal locker rooms," the university said in its announcement. "All campus recreation members can use our universal locker rooms, regardless of who they are or how they identify. These spaces are inclusive of members with disabilities and members of all gender identities." News of this change spread Tuesday after two bills aimed at keeping transgender athletes out of women's and girls sports failed to pass Monday at the state and federal level. California women's rights activist Beth Bourne posted on X about the universal locker rooms and the backlash from female students. Women's tennis legend Martina Navratilova called the situation 'beyond f----- up.' "This is beyond f----- up! Be prepared to lose a lot of women to this insanity," Navratilova wrote. Many other users expressed similar outrage with their own posts. The university expects to spend $5 million on the renovations, and students will have until Wednesday to clear all of their belongings out of the current locker rooms. The renovated locker rooms won't reopen until September. The university's announcement states that all toilets, changing rooms and cabanas are individual, private spaces with floor-to-ceiling locking doors, claiming it "offers more privacy for all members" compared to the current format. Fox News Digital has reached out to UC Davis for comment. On Tuesday, no Democrats in the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to break a filibuster. Republicans needed 60 votes but only received 51. On the same day in Minnesota, House lawmakers there voted against the Preserving Girls' Sports Act. All Democratic lawmakers in the state voted against the legislation. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Ex-NFL reporter Michele Tafoya theorizes why bill to keep men out of women's sports failed in Senate
Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya theorized Tuesday why Senate Democrats failed to break a filibuster and express support for keeping biological males out of women's and girls sports. No Senate Democrat voted in favor of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to break a filibuster. Republicans needed 60 votes but only received 51. On the same day, in Minnesota, House lawmakers there voted against the Preserving Girls' Sports Act. Each Democratic lawmaker in the state voted against the legislation. Tafoya gave her thoughts on the political pushback in an interview on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich." "Part of me is starting to think they didn't want to give the president a 'W' the day before he is going to address Congress tonight, that joint session of Congress," Tafoya told Dakich. "And so they all just — and, seriously, politicians collude — and they all got together and said, 'We can't do this. We can't give him this win, so let's just vote no.' And they stick together, man. They stick together." Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Liish Kozlowski likened the Preserving Girls' Sports Act to "state-sanctioned bullying and genocide" during a debate about the legislation Monday, according to OutKick. It's the same type of language Hannah Edwards, executive director of Transforming Families, used in a news release from Democratic Minnesota state Rep. Leigh Finke in January after Trump signed an executive order targeting federal funding of transgender healthcare. "It's ridiculous, and I'm trying to get my head around, like do people really buy into this, that this is some sort of trans genocide because boys shouldn't play in girls sports?" Tafoya said. "It makes no sense. We have some pretty radical Democrats here in Minnesota, I mean, like really radical. And so that's what we're dealing with. "I don't know how that language is received by the average person. If I'm considered the average person, I think that person's a lunatic suggesting that. I don't know how these people keep getting elected." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill banning trans athletes in girls sports fails in Minnesota House
In a party-line vote Monday, the Minnesota House of Representatives narrowly rejected a proposed bill that would have banned transgender athletes from participating in girls and women's sports. All 67 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, which was authored by Rep. Peggy Scott (R-Andover), and all 66 Democratic lawmakers voted against. The Preserving Girls' Sports Act reached the House floor Monday afternoon after passing the GOP-controlled House Education Policy Committee last week. Legislation needs 68 votes to pass on the House floor. During Monday's debate, supporters of the bill claimed the legislation would preserve girls sports by ensuring fairness and safety. "It ensures that the protections and opportunities created by Title IX remain in place for the next generation of female athletes in Minnesota," said Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey). At a press conference Monday, Rep. Brion Curran (DFL-White Bear Lake) claimed the measure would allow for discrimination and bullying of trans children who want to play sports. "Republican politicians in Minnesota are falling directly in line with Trump's extreme and cruel agenda by prioritizing political theater and burning valuable legislative hours on targeting our youth and vulnerable Minnesotans rather than addressing the real and imminent issues facing our state," Curran, who leads the Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus, said. Opponents of the proposal raised concerns about athletes being required to undergo examinations to prove eligibility in sports, increasing scrutiny for girls who participate and overall lowering participation. Because the proposal was not expected to become law in Minnesota due, Democrats have criticized Republican lawmakers for advancing the bill to the House floor. Even if the bill had passed in the House, the DFL-led Senate was not expected to take up the issue. Through a policy in place since 2015, the Minnesota State High School League has allowed athletes to choose which team best aligns with their gender identity. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights opened a Title IX investigation into the league after the league said it would continue allowing transgender athletes in girls' sports. President Donald Trump issued a Feb. 5 executive order banning transgender athletes in women's sports nationwide.
