Democrats Stick Together Against Anti-Trans ‘Girls In Sports’ Bill

WASHINGTON — All but two Democrats in the House of Representatives on Tuesday voted against a Republican bill aimed at preventing transgender girls and women from competing in school sports.

The show of Democratic unity against the bill, dubbed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, was something of a surprise after several prominent Democrats complained that the party’s support for trans rights contributed to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November.

Democratic leaders encouraged rank-and-file members to vote against the bill, sharing aggressive talking points about how banning trans girls from school sports would subject all girls to humiliating gender screenings by adults — and worse.

“The House Republican Child Predator Empowerment Act does not promote fairness and safety in sports,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said on social media. “It will unleash horrific child predators on girls and young women throughout America.”

Party leadership settled on the “predator empowerment” branding on Monday evening, and in a Tuesday morning caucus meeting, Jeffries suggested the legislation would create opportunities for predatory adult behavior in sports like gymnastics and wrestling, according to a source in the room.

The legislation forbids educational institutions that receive federal funding to allow athletes assigned male at birth to participate in programs or activities designed for women or girls. No Democrats voted for the same legislation when the House passed it in 2023; it ultimately didn’t become law.

The only Democrats who voted for the bill on Tuesday were Texas Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar. Gonzalez was one of the Democrats who criticized the party in November.

“There are issues that I don’t agree with, like boys [in] girls bathrooms, or boys competing in girls sports, and I think we should be outspoken about it. I don’t think Democrats should have to hide from a message like that,” Gonzalez told The Texas Tribune.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Democrats had found a winning message on trans rights — one she contrasted with their message on immigration. Forty-eight Democrats last week voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act, a bill requiring law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants suspected of certain crimes, even if they have not been convicted.

“These are just the early days. Trump hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and if an little bitty sports bill was going to make Dems defect, we’re not in good shape,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters after the House vote.

Ocasio-Cortez said calling the bill a tool of “predator empowerment” showed Democrats were confident.

“When we tell the truth about what Republicans are doing, and when we’re unafraid to do that, it generates momentum, and when we lean into the momentum that we generate, and when Democrats aren’t afraid to throw a damn punch, then we can see that we can yield the results,” she said. “We have to be strong about these things. And I think projecting strength attracts support.”

Several Democrats deployed the new messaging during debate on the House floor before the vote.

“Does this mean hiring potential predators to peek at the private parts of kids in locker rooms?” asked Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), chair of the Equality Caucus. “That sounds like an actual problem to me.”

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) was one of the first Democrats who criticized the party’s trans messaging after Harris lost to Trump in November. He said the Republican bill would subject young children to invasive questions and that Democrats needed to participate in drafting legislation around trans issues.

“This is a great example of a place where, if Democrats don’t come forward with a reasonable compromise policy, the Republicans are just going to set their extreme agenda,” Moulton told HuffPost. “We’re headed in the right direction here, but we’re not where we need to be yet as a party.”