McCarthy launches bill ‘ensuring men play on men’s teams and women play on women’s teams’

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled legislation Wednesday aimed at keeping student athletes who are born biological males out of women’s sports.

The Republican leader held an event to mark National Girls and Women in Sports Day, where he hosted a panel discussion with athletes who shared stories of being bested by a transgender woman in their respective sports.

Among the four panelists was Kentucky star swimmer Riley Gaines. The 22-year-old has become an activist against transgender women participating in women’s sports teams after being forced to go head-to-head with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.

Gaines also moderated the panel during the event, then switched to McCarthy’s microphone to hear Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lisa McLain of Michigan and Virginia Foxx of North Carolina.

The speaker opened his event by noting the absence of Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, who last year introduced the Women and Girls in Sports Protection Act in the former Democratic-controlled House.

Steube has been recovering at his Florida home for nearly two weeks after falling from a 25-foot ladder while performing maintenance on his property.

McCarthy read Steube’s statement planned for the event: “House Republicans pledged to protect women’s sports. Today we are fulfilling that promise.’

“As I have said many times, it is a sad day in America when we have to introduce a bill to say that men will play on men’s teams and women will play on women’s teams,” McCarthy read.

“But we have seen time and time again how the left only favors equity that aligns with their awakening agenda.”

He said Americans were “rightly outraged” when Thomas, a championship-level transgender swimmer, beat Sarasota biological swimmer Emma Weyant for the NCAA title in 2022.

“So today, I am pleased to have reintroduced legislation that gives women and girls a fair playing field in competitive sports,” McCarthy continued, reading the statement.

“Ensures that school athletics comply with Title IX recognizing a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”

In addition to Gaines, panelists included volleyball player Macey Petty, former track star Margo Knorr and retired tennis player Chloe Satterfield.

A featured speaker was Kentucky star swimmer Riley Gaines, who previously competed against University of Pennsylvania transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

Thomas’ involvement with the UPenn women’s swim team has brought the issue of transgender students’ participation in school sports teams of their chosen gender to the forefront of the current culture wars.

During Gaines’ next panel with the three conservative legislators, Michigan Rep. McLain broke rules that allow students to wear school locker rooms that align with their chosen gender.

‘Where is the equality?’ McLain was furious.

“As a mother, I have no idea what I would have done if my daughter came home and said, ‘Mom, I was forced to undress in a locker room in front of a man with a penis.'”

She continued: ‘Do you know what I call it? I call that indecent exposure. So, let’s start calling it what it is.

Conservative efforts to crack down on transgender participation in school sports have gained steam in recent years, particularly since the rise of Lia Thomas.

It has become a new culture war front and was even featured as a campaign issue in several races in the 2022 election.

The left and LGBTQ activists have responded, claiming that policies that force students to participate in school activities designated by biological sex, rather than gender identity, are repressive of transgender youth.

As of now, 18 states have laws that prohibit students from participating in school sports that align with their gender identity, according to the LGBT MAP Project.