U.S.A. lesbian congresswoman Angie Craig opposes efforts to ban trans women from female sports

A Democratic Congresswoman from Minnesota has blocked two attempts to prevent trans women from participating in female sports, describing these efforts as “bigoted” and “appalling,” according to ‘Daily Mail’.

Angie Craig, who is running for her fourth term in Congress, represents Minnesota’s second district, which covers a significant portion of the southern metro area.

In 2020, former Republican representative Tulsi Gabbard introduced the ‘Protect Women's Sports Act of 2020’ as a new legislative measure.

Had it passed, the law would have barred federally funded schools from allowing transgender women to take part in women’s athletics. Just one day after the bill was introduced, Congresswoman Craig called it “bigoted” and “appalling,” denouncing it as “beyond the pale.”

In her statement, she expressed, “Queer and transgender women must stand together in the face of intolerance. I am proud to do so today by emphatically denouncing this narrow-minded and hateful legislation, which is harmful not only to transgender women but to the LGBTQ Community at-large.”

Although the initial bill did not progress in Congress, similar proposals were introduced later that received broader support.

In April 2023, Congressional Republicans put forth the ‘Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.’ Like its predecessor, this legislation aimed to stop federally funded schools from allowing transgender women in female sports.

This bill was subsequently voted on and passed along party lines with a vote of 219 to 203.

Congresswoman Craig opposed the bill and cast her vote against it.

On Wednesday, Joe Teirab, Craig’s Republican challenger in the upcoming election, sought to distinguish himself from the incumbent.

Teirab stated on X.com: “Men shouldn’t compete against women in sports. Common sense, right? It’s a simple fairness and safety issue, and this new UN report shows that hundreds of women around the world lost medals to biological men.”

The Republican candidate then attempted to use Craig’s own statements against her. “But @AngieCraigMN voted against the "Protect Women's Sports Act," calling the effort "transphobic," "bigoted," and "hateful." So to the vast majority of Americans and Minnesotans who believe men shouldn't compete against women in sports, are you @AngieCraigMN calling them transphobic, bigoted, and hateful?”

Teirab is not alone in his belief that trans women shouldn’t participate in female sports.

In August, a group of female college swimmers testified before the Georgia Senate about their negative experiences competing against a trans athlete and sharing locker room facilities with them.

Payton McNabb, a female high school volleyball player, has also articulated concerns about the risks posed by trans athletes to women and girls. In 2022, McNabb sustained a traumatic brain injury and partial paralysis when a trans competitor spiked a ball into her head.

She has openly supported the USA Powerlifting association in its push to maintain sex-specific leagues before the Minnesota Supreme Court, using her experience as a cautionary anecdote.

“I was partially paralyzed when a male, who identified as a female, spiked the ball at my head,” she stated in a recent press release following her submission of an amicus brief to the court. “Women simply cannot prepare for that type of playing environment. It cannot be the case that the law requires that we accept that as the price of playing women’s sports.”