On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-206 in favor of H.R.28 Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025. The bill would ban transgender girls and women from participating in athletics at schools and institutions that receive federal funding, stating that sex shall be recognized based solely on a persons reproductive biology and genetics at birth.The bill, introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), also calls for a study to examine the benefits to women or girls of participating in single-sex sports that would be lost by allowing males to participate.While votes were mostly along party lines, two Democrats, Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, both of Texas, voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) voted present.Several Democrats spoke in opposition to the bill on the House floor. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said, Trans Americans are not the problem. This obsession with monitoring kids genitals is absolutely the problem.Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) addressed the House adding, Republicans who have consistently voted against the violence against women act, who have taken away the rights of all women to choose and have control over their own bodynow want to pretend today that they care about women.In his first debate on the House floor, Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) argued that the bill would empower child predators, even calling the bill the Child Predator Empowerment Act.They say its about protecting women, but its a damn lie, said Frost. This bill puts all girls, all children at risk in our school systems and across the entire country.Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender member of Congress, spoke to reporters about the bill, asking, How does this lower costs for workers? And how on earth is this going to be enforced?Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson released a statement about the bill, saying We all want sports to be fair, students to be safe, and young people to have the opportunity to participate alongside their peers. But this kind of blanket ban deprives kids of those things. This bill would expose young people to harassment and discrimination, emboldening people to question the gender of kids who dont fit a narrow view of how theyre supposed to dress or look. It could even expose children to invasive, inappropriate questions and examinations. Participating in sports is about learning the values of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. And for so many students, sports are about finding somewhere to belong. We should want that for all kids not partisan policies that make life harder for them.The bill now heads to the Senate.The post H.R. 28: House votes to ban trans women and girls from athletics appeared first on News Is Out.