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Hello from the State Capitol,
Today, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that a decision made by USA Powerlifting to prevent a trangendered individual – in this case, a biological male - from competing in the organization’s women’s division is “facially discriminatory” under Minnesota’s Human Rights Act.
I was disappointed with this decision. As a parent of three daughters that participated in sports, I cannot imagine them being forced to play against a biological boy who didn’t want to participate against other boys. Women’s sports have come a long way over the decades, but these kinds of rulings are a major setback.
The federal Title IX law guarantees women and girls the right to compete on a level playing field, and it’s unclear why that law was ignored when the Minnesota Supreme Court made its finding.
A New York Times poll found that 79% of Americans believe girls' sports should be reserved for girls only, including 67% of Democrats.
Based on this ruling, the Minnesota House must vote on the Preserving Girls Sports Act next session, which would amend state law to prevent males from participating in athletic programs designated for girls. But with the House in a tie between Republicans and Democrats, one Democrat will need to stand up to their party bosses and show support for girls for the proposal to move forward.
The ruling not only ignores federal law, but it fails to recognize the obvious fairness and safety issues that are inevitable when males compete against females. It’s clear the state legislature must now take action on behalf of our female athletes.
PLEASE JOIN ME AT TOWN MEETINGS ON FRIDAY!
On Friday, Representative Steve Gander and I will hold a pair of town meetings in Roseau County.
The first will be held at the Warroad American Legion, 410 Lake St. NE, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. The second event will be held at the front entrance lobby to the Polaris factory, 301 5th Ave. SW, in Roseau from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
We’ll be speaking about legislative issues and answering any of your questions.
I hope to see you there!
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