E-Newsletter

On April 20^th, I voted to pass H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023, legislation to ensure that women and girls have a fair playing field in sports by guaranteeing that schools adhere to Title IX’s recognition of biology and genetics of an individual at birth.

Title IX was enacted as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 to prohibit sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government.

This means that when it came to sports, schools were now required to provide equal participation opportunities, athletic scholarships, and benefits and services (facilities, equipment, transportation) for men and women.

Over the past few years, the left has pushed the notion that biological men that have begun transitioning to women are the same as biological women and so they cannot be excluded from participating in women’s sports. We must be inclusive of all, they say, no matter what.

But this trend only does a disservice to women and House Republicans have sought to protect their rights with H.R. 734. To me, this bill is not controversial. In fact, I am an original cosponsored of the bill.

This bill is about fairness. Women fought for years for equal opportunities in sports. Before Title IX, women’s athletic scholarships were basically nonexistent. Now those scholarships and other opportunities are at risk again because they are being given to biological men in the name of inclusiveness.

But why should women have to sacrifice what they deserve?

This bill is also about safety and accepting the reality of biology and genetics. There is a reason there are separate men’s sports and women’s sports. The biological differences between men and women cannot be ignored.

Genetically, men have a clear advantage. For example, they have a higher ratio of muscle mass to body weight, which allows for greater acceleration and speed.  They also have larger and longer bones to support more muscle. This is true in most cases even if they have begun transitioning to a woman.

Women athletes have already gotten hurt competing against biological males. Just a few days prior to this column, a North Carolina high school volleyball player spoke at a press conference about suffering long-term physical and mental injuries when she was spiked by a ball in the face by a transgender athlete.

This bill does not even address the other issue of women in some places now being required to share their locker rooms with biological males.

Where does it end?

H.R. 734 is important legislation to protect woman and girls. Will the Senate agree? I don’t know. Ask your Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.

Academy Day

On May 6^th, I am hosting my annual Service Academy Day in Wytheville. This event gives high school students, their parents, and any school staff interested a chance to learn more about the Service Academies and the military.

The event will feature representatives from each of the U.S. Service Academies – U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine – the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the Virginia Military Institute, and other Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs.

I encourage all students who may be interested in serving in our military to come on the 6^th as attending of one of these institutions it is a fantastic way to both serve your country and further your education after high school. 

I am also welcoming interested students and parents located in surrounding counties, outside of the Ninth District, to attend so they may also receive information. Though students must be nominated by their own Member of Congress or Senators to the Service Academies, I know that my event’s location may be more convenient for folks in neighboring counties, such as those just over the state line in West Virginia and North Carolina.

For those students in the Ninth District who attend, my staff will also be available to answer questions regarding our process for congressional nominations.

Serving our country in the Armed Forces is an honorable calling. I hope to see you all there.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.

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