Congressional Republicans push college conference to ban transgender athletes in women's sports

Congressional Republican leaders on Wednesday urged officials of the Mountain West Conference in a letter to prohibit biological male athletes who identify as women from competing on female sport teams.

The letter comes as the conference faces controversy over a transgender athlete playing at San Jose State University on the women's volleyball team. Multiple teams in the conference have forfeited games over the controversy. 

The lawmakers, who are from both chambers of Congress, said they have "serious concerns" about the safety and fairness of allowing transgender athletes to play against biological women, according to Fox News.

"Title IX was established over 50 years ago to even the playing field for women," the 13 GOP lawmakers wrote. "Since its implementation, women have participated in safer and fairer competition — but recent events have shown this is at risk. Recently, members of your conference have forfeited games, risking their competitive standings to ensure the safety of their female athletes. 

"The Mountain West Conference’s failure to prohibit biological males from competing in women’s sports is unfair to the women and girls who have worked tirelessly to compete at the collegiate level," they continued. "We applaud the bravery of these female athletes and the universities in our home states for taking a stand to preserve Title IX when the Mountain West Conference would not."

The lawmakers said allowing athletes who were born male to compete against biological women was an "injustice."

"Life isn’t fair, but sports should be," they added. "We urge you to address these inequities in women’s sports in the Mountain West Conference immediately, and we look forward to working with you to support women in collegiate sports."

San Jose State has defended the player, Brooke Fleming, but some team members have accused the school of deliberately hiding Fleming's natural birth sex from them.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.