Once again, Tennessee’s General Assembly has taken up a bill ensuring biological sex is a factor in youth sports. Although the bill would apply to both genders, its preamble identified girls as the motivator for drafting the legislation. It referenced the general biological differences between the genders in competition, as well as noted the impact on female athletes when it comes to college recruiting and scholarship opportunities.
“[I]t is unfortunate for some girls that those dreams, goals, and opportunities for participation, recruitment, and scholarships can be directly and negatively affected by new school policies permitting boys who are male in every biological respect to compete in girls’ athletic competitions if they claim a female gender identity,” stated the bill.
The bill was introduced in the House initially by State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) in November, several days after the election, followed by a companion bill introduced by State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) last month. Since then, the legislation has progressed steadily through the General Assembly.
According to the bill, students must prove their biological sex at birth in order to participate in middle or high school interscholastic athletic activities or events. The legislation referenced birth certificates explicitly as proper evidence to prove the student’s sex at birth. It also stated that “other evidence” would suffice as proof, though it didn’t specify what that would entail.
Hensley’s spokespersons deferred questions from The Tennessee Star to Cepicky. The representative’s spokespersons didn’t respond to request for comment by press time.
If passed, the bill may face some challenges from federal initiatives advanced by the Biden administration.
Once of President Joe Biden’s initial executive orders on the day of his inauguration addressed transgender individuals in sports. The order cited the Constitution, several federal laws, and the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court ruling to assert that gender identity couldn’t be discriminated against.
“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” read the executive order.
In December 2019, State Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) introduced a similar bill proposing to mandate elementary or secondary school students participate in sports according to their sex presented at birth. It also had a companion bill in the Senate, introduced by State Senator Pody (R-Lebanon).
Despite deferred actions and cancelled meetings, Griffey’s bill made it through the K-12 Subcommittee and into the Education Committee. Then in June, nearly six months after introduction, it died in committee.
On Monday, the Senate passed this latest legislation on gender and sports on first consideration. The House’s K-12 Subcommittee is scheduled to review the bill on Tuesday.
– – –
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Women’s Sports” by jenaragon94 CC2.0
Great!!! Many states are doing this. There is more than one way to win a fight.
Reckon, the Local School Boards need to cut out the Sports programs? Just a suggestion. Seems like Greece is about to take over the Local School Districts and the Vulture lawyers are circling the Local Schools to FORCE Unnatural Practices like was common to the Greek society before they came to great destruction. Back to “readin’, writin’, arithmetic (NOT Common Core ciphering), And Good Old American History” I think this would be called, “going back to the BASICS”. Local Autonomy of Locally elected School Boards producing distinction of education at the County level. (You know, we, the Counties, could reinstate The Star-Spangled Banner, The Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag, Prayer and Bible reading.) “The Buck could stopped at the Locally Elected School Boards” and that includes “text book selections.” For God & Country
Real compassion would be stop enabling these people’s mental illness and get them real help.
Since the General Assembly isn’t moving on bills to curb unconstitutional fiat executive orders, this stuff is irrelevant. We aren’t “allowed” to watch any sports any more, so who cares if the tran-nies cheat for the win? That’s how the elections are done now, why not sports too?
Really think girl’s sports is why 6000 students left Metro Nashville schools for good?
ive determined libs want there to be some sort of gender neutral uniperson to which all people conform. where nothing means anything.