Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said Monday that he will veto a bill banning transgender athletes from playing women’s sports in the state, should it pass the state legislature, reported the Hill.
“I’ll veto this discriminatory bill if it gets to my desk,” he tweeted.
The “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” is Pennsylvania’s version of similar bills advancing in state legislatures across the country.
Meanwhile, five GOP Pennsylvania House members — Reps. Barbara Gleim of Cumberland County, Valerie Gaydos of Allegheny County, Stephanie Borowicz of Clinton County, Dawn Keefer of York County and Martina White of Philadelphia — say he should not allow athletes who were born male but now identify as female to compete in girls and women’s sports.
They said athletes born male have intrinsic physical advantages over those born female.
They argue that passage of the Act will undermine Title IX legislation.
A person born biologically male is “faster and stronger than females. They have larger hearts and lungs, denser bones and stronger muscles. These are all advantages that cannot be undone,” said Rep. White, who is herself a former college field hockey player.
“That’s why we have women’s sports as a separate category,” she added.
“Allowing biological males to compete in girls and women’s sports destroys fair competition and women’s athletic opportunities,” Rep. Gleim said, reported Mcall.com.
