These Two Democrats Voted to Ban Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports

Two House Democrats on Tuesday voted in support of legislation that would bar transgender girls from participating in girls’ and womens’ sports.

Why It Matters

Republicans emphasized the issue of transgender inclusion in sports during the 2024 election, putting Democrats, who have embraced LGBTQ+ rights, on the defense.

Americans hold complex views on gender and sexual orientation issues. While many polls shows acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights has generally increased over the past 20 years, most Americans are less supportive of transgender girls and women participating in women’s sports. A Gallup poll from May 2023 found that 69 percent of Americans believe transgender people should play on teams that match their sex assigned at birth.

The vote on Tuesday forced Democrats, including those representing conservative districts, to take a recorded position on whether they think transgender women and girls should be playing in women’s sports, an issue that Republicans are likely to focus on again in 2026 midterms.

What To Know

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would ban schools receiving federal funding from allowing transgender girls and women playing on women’s sports teams, essentially keeping them from participating in sports at most institutions.

Democratic Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, both of Texas, voted against the legislation. Democratic Representative Don Davis, of North Carolina, voted present.

Cuellar and Gonzalez both represent South Texas Congressional districts that were previous Democratic strongholds that voted for Trump in the 2024 election amid nationwide rightward shifts among Hispanic voters. Both seats will be likely targets for Republicans in the 2026 midterms.

Cuellar and Gonzalez have been longtime moderates and members of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition.

All present Republicans voted in support of the legislation.

Gonzalez previously told The Texas Tribune he has issues with the Democratic Party’s approach to transgender issues.

“I think we need to protect every community in America. But there are issues that I don’t agree with, like boys and 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,” he told the newspaper in November

In an hour of debate the preceded the vote on Tuesday, several Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about what they view as a lack of enforcement mechanism in the bill potentially opening the door to genital examinations. But Republicans said the bill would only require schools to check a student’s birth certificate for inspection.

Democrats also argued the bill would worsen mental health for already-vulnerable transgender teenagers. Republicans said the bill is necessary because transgender women, even after transitioning, still have biological advantages in sports that pose safety and fairness questions.

The bill passed the House of Representatives last year with no Democratic support and has not passed the Senate, which flipped to Republican control this year.

What People Are Saying

Representative Tim Walberg, a Michigan Republican, on the House floor: “The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act offers a new promise to America’s women and girls that will strengthen Title IX’s protections for women, ensure a level playing field for female athletes and protect the law from current and future radical regulatory schemes.”

Representative Suzanne Bonamici, an Oregon Democrat, on the House floor: “This is damaging and discriminatory against transgender students, who benefit as all students do from participating in school sports. And damaging to the entire school that’s threatened, because federal funding benefits all students.”

National Women’s Law Center, in a statement: “Don’t be fooled by the deceptive title of these bills. They do nothing to address actual inequities and harm that women and girl athletes face. And worse—they’re dangerous to women and girls. In addition to blatantly discriminating against trans, nonbinary, and intersex students, sports bans are a gateway into policing how we all look and act.”

What Happens Next

The bill would have to pass the Senate, where it would need to clear the 60-vote filibuster to become law. It’s unclear whether any Senate Democrats are planning to vote in its favor.

If it does pass the Senate, it would go to the president’s desk for a signature. Right now, President Joe Biden remains in the Oval Office. But President-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated January 20, and he has expressed support for transgender sport bans.