The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require kids to participate in sports corresponding to the gender listed on their birth certificate. The bill passed 76-54 after ten hours of debate Thursday.
"By passing this bill, we are standing up for our daughters and granddaughters, their right to compete in sports and all the opportunities in life that flow from that," said Valoree Swanson (R-Spring), the author of HB 25.
"Children are hurting. Children are in pain," said Ana-Maria Ramos (D-Dallas). "One child said legislation like this makes them feel like they're being erased."
Ramos says 40% of transgender youth have reported being bullied. She says a "trans lifeline" organization saw a 71.6% increase in calls from Texas when a similar bill was debated in May.
Rep. Chris Turner (D-Arlington) said there had been no issues of boys unfairly trying to join a girls' team, describing the bill as an "imaginary issue, creating a solution in search of a problem."
"You know there's no problem to be solved," he said. "You know this is stupid, but you go along with it anyway because, you know, the primary and all."
Swanson says the UIL already requires kids to participate in the sport that corresponds with the gender on their birth certificate, and HB 25 would only make that requirement state law.
"A vote for this bill is a vote to support our school districts, and it's a vote for safety and fair competition for your daughters and granddaughters," she says.
UIL does recognize legally modified birth certificates. HB 25 would require kids to participate in the sport corresponding to the gender listed originally regardless of whether the certificate had been changed to match a person's gender identity.
This was the fourth time the Texas legislature has taken up transgender sports this year. The Texas Senate had passed similar legislation three other times, but the bills had stalled in the House.
With passage of the bill in the House, it now moves to the Texas Senate.
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