Legislation to bar transgender athletes from girls sports falls short of passage in House

Female sports team participation in Minnesota is not restricted to the female sex. Nor will it be anytime soon.

With bill supporters and opponents watching eagerly outside the House Chamber, and emotional discussion inside, HF12 was unable to cross the finish line Monday.

Sponsored by Rep. Peggy Scott (R-Andover), the “Preserving Girls’ Sports Act” states: “only female students may participate in an elementary or secondary school level athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted to women and girls.”

Per the bill, “’female means a female as biologically determined by genetics and defined with respect to an individual's reproductive system.”

Needing 68 House votes for passage, the bill could only garner party-line results with 67 affirmative votes but 66 negative votes. It was then reconsidered and tabled in pair of procedural moves.

Protesters gather outside of the House Chamber before the March 3 floor session where members considered HF12 that would restrict female elementary or secondary school level athletic sports team participation to biological females. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)

“We cannot allow our girls to be vulnerable to losing their spot on the team, being on the podium, or to injury by a male teammate or male competitor,” Scott said. “That is not safe and that is not fair to our girls.”

Supporters, many of whom took part in a midday rally on the front steps of the Capitol, argue the biological differences between genders can ultimately lead to better results for someone born male and increased injuries for a female; team spots being taken by a non-biological female; and the locker room being a place where girls should feel protected.

“We have women and girls around the world that are so afraid of competing with biological men that they are dropping out of sports,” said Rep. Marion Rarick (R-Maple Lake), citing a 2024 United Nations report on violence against women and girls.

Opponents say the bill would allow trans discrimination and is rife for abuse. Members of the Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus called it “political theater” at a midday news conference.

“All children deserve to play,” said Rep. Brion Curran (DFL-White Bear Lake), the caucus chair. “We will not be complacent with this hateful and dangerous anti-trans rhetoric.”

[MORE: Watch the news conference]

“I can assure you that our children will not stop being transgender just because you try to remove us from sports,” added Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth), who calls the proposal “a bill to bully trans girls and non-binary kids.”

Rep. Peggy Scott speaks at the Save Girls’ Sports Rally on the Capitol steps March 3. Scott sponsors HF12, a bill to restrict some female sports team participation to biological females. (Photo by Michele Jokinen)

Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove) argued that the bill reinforces and strengthens laws already on the Minnesota books.

“We already have robust language that protects biologically separate sports teams,” she said. “Trans kids can still play in sports. We’re not barring them from playing sports. We’re saying we are just upholding the law where we have biological based sports teams.”

Rep. Leigh Finke (DFL-St. Paul) said the trans athlete problem is manufactured and does not exist in the United States. “Minnesota has been inclusive for 10 years. We’ve had zero problems. But we are doing this for political reasons. And when you lie about a community for long enough, people will believe it.”

Facing federal ban

A Feb. 5 presidential executive order bans transgender girls and women from competing in girl’s and women’s sports nationwide. The Minnesota State High School League announced that it would continue to let transgender athletes participate in girls’ sports, arguing that their eligibility is determined by state law, the Minnesota Human Rights Act and the state constitution. Attorney General Keith Ellison agreed with the MSHSL, releasing a statement Feb. 20, stating that the presidential order is in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

In a Feb. 25 letter, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi warned of consequences should the state fail to comply with the federal order.

“The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has begun a Title IX investigation into the Minnesota State High School League. If the Department of Education's investigation shows that relevant Minnesota entities are indeed denying girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them to compete against boys, the Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law.”

“When we legislate exclusion, we are sending a cruel and dangerous message to some of our most vulnerable students,” said Rep. Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope). “That they do not belong. That their identities are not real, and that their rights are somehow up for debate.”

Rep. Peggy Bennett (R-Albert Lea) said, “This bill is about fairness, safety and preserving girls sports in Minnesota.”

An amendment offered by Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Mpls) failed to gain approval. It would have allowed sports participation based on a student’s gender identity “in an environment free from discrimination with an equal opportunity for participation in athletics.”