St. Cloud Sun

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that biological males have the right to compete in female athletics, a decision that has drawn criticism from some lawmakers. Representative Bernie Perryman, a Republican from St. Cloud, expressed concern that the ruling could compromise the safety of girls and the fairness of athletic competition.

Earlier this year, House Republicans introduced two bills aimed at protecting female athletes and ensuring fairness in school sports. The Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12) proposed that only female students could participate in school sports designated for women or girls. These bills did not advance after being blocked by House Democrats.

“People I talk with just don’t get how it’s considered acceptable for biological males to compete in girls’ sports,” said Perryman, who co-authored the bill. “That is why we authored legislation to provide clarification in state law. Instead, by blocking it, the other side is putting girls at risk and rolling back decades of progress made through Title IX. And now, the Supreme Court has proven our concerns to be valid, underscoring how important it is for us to clarify state law.”

Perryman referenced reports of injuries to female athletes when competing against biological males, and cited a United Nations report that indicated female athletes globally have lost nearly 900 medals to transgender women.

House Republicans attempted to pass the Preserving Girls Sports Act last March, but after opposition from House Democrats, the bill was tabled and remains available for future consideration, along with H.F. 1233.

The Supreme Court's decision came in the case of Cooper v. USA Powerlifting. The court found that USA Powerlifting had discriminated against a transgender athlete by excluding her from women’s events, citing the Human Rights Act. The case has been sent back to a lower court to determine whether a “competitive fairness” defense might apply.