Thomas Hoever is a resident of Magnolia.
On Monday, the U.S. Senate tried to advance a bill that would protect our young girls and women in sports, and both of our senators, Democrats Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester, voted against it, not allowing the proposal to advance. This was a bipartisan bill, voted out of the House of Representatives by both Democrats and Republicans. It needs to be noted that our U.S. representative, Democrat Sarah McBride, also voted against the bill. What is the rationale to vote against protecting women and young girls from forcing biological males to compete against them in sports? Why would anyone want biological males, who are physically stronger, playing with women and young girls? We all saw the poor woman getting destroyed in boxing during the Olympics and the young woman who received serious injuries playing volleyball against a biological male who spiked the ball into her face. There is currently a criminal case against a biological male — a convicted sexual offender in Virginia — charged with going into a women’s locker room at a school and exposing himself to young girls.
This same person was on the court steps, arguing that, even though he is convicted as a sexual offender, he now identifies as transgender, and it violates his rights not to be able to use the female locker room.
State Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Camden, tried to submit a similar bill for fairness in women’s sports in Delaware.
The Democrats would not let it out of committee, saying it was a solution looking for a problem. Well, I submit that this is a problem that needs to be addressed, so young girls and ladies can fairly compete in sports without worrying about biological males changing in their locker rooms and playing against them, causing injuries. Laws should be proactive, not reactive. What are we waiting for — someone to get seriously injured or sexually assaulted? Nobody is saying people who identify differently than how they were born can’t compete in sports. What should be obvious is that people should compete in sports against other individuals who share their birth gender. If we aren’t going to follow common sense, then why did we pass Title IX in 1972?
In closing, I have to say that I am very disappointed and disgusted with our U.S. senators and our congresswoman, who would put politics above keeping young girls and women safe with this obviously needed law. Do not let them try to tell you there was some section in the bill they didn’t like; the bill could have been altered if there was some issue they didn’t agree with. This was a bipartisan bill to protect young women and girls that our delegation voted against. Shame on the three of you.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
