WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) released the following statement on H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, which passed the House of Representatives, 218-206-1:
“As a teacher and mother, I know the issue of transgender students in sports is complicated and emotional for many and I believe many athletic governing bodies have been slow and inconsistent in updating their policies to address the concerns of parents. However, it is not the role of Congress to dictate to competitive and non-competitive sports leagues of all ages their rules for participation, and today I voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.
This legislation opens the door for federal overreach into an issue that schools, states, and sports associations should address. School districts and athletic associations are better prepared to understand the sports they regulate and how to guarantee both respect for transgender people and fairness in sports—not federal government politicians.
By advancing a blanket ban on the participation of transgender individuals, Republicans place every child at risk. H.R. 28 provides neither a specific enforcement mechanism nor resources to ensure that students participating in athletics meet these new standards. This means schools will turn to administrators, coaches, or even volunteers to inspect the genitalia of children if a question is raised before they are allowed to participate in sports.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the American Federation of Teachers, the Human Rights Campaign, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, the New Haven Pride Center, and PFLAG Hartford and at least one hundred other organizations oppose this legislation.
Contrary to its name, this bill does nothing to protect women and girls in sports or address the increasing lack of athletic opportunities for women at the collegiate level or provide resources for equipment and coaches. It is my goal to protect all children, and I hope to work with my colleagues in Congress to come up with commonsense legislation that achieves this goal.”