This morning the U.S. House passed H.R. 734, which would amend Title IX to mandate the exclusion of transgender students from school sports. A pending rule issued by the Department of Education earlier this month clarifies that Title IX requires inclusion of transgender students on school sports teams while allowing for reasonable requirements at elite levels of competition, making H.R. 734 unnecessary and harmful.

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights Jennifer Levi issued the following statement:

“Today’s vote on H.R. 734 is a malicious attack on transgender student athletes and sends a harmful message of exclusion and intolerance to all students. A majority of the House of Representatives voted to write discrimination into a law meant to ensure equal opportunity in education. Transgender students want to play sports for the same reasons all kids do – to compete, have fun, be part of a team and build confidence, leadership, and healthy self-esteem. As the Department of Education’s pending rule makes clear, Title IX already includes what we need in law to ensure inclusion and fairness for all student athletes. H.R. 734 undermines that effort. We urge the Senate to stop this unnecessary and unprincipled measure in its tracks.”