McHenry Times

Illinois State Senator Craig Wilcox (R) spoke out against allowing transgender girls to participate in girls' sports in an interview with the McHenry Times.

"Are we really telling women in 2023 that men make better women than they do?" Wilcox asked. "I don’t know how I talk to my daughters, wife, or mom if this is the world we live in. This isn’t equity. You don’t diminish others to get where you want to go."

Wilcox added that he believes that transgender female athletes have an inherent physical advantage over their cisgender counterparts, referring to their physicality, strength, and DNA.

"With all the things that are going on in the world, 'rather a guy can be a better female athlete than a female' is not something we should be spending a lot of time on," he said.

In early April, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to overturn a lower court ruling blocking the enforcement of West Virginia's April 2021 law banning transgender girls from participating in girls' high school sports. The rulings are still expected to be challenged.

In March 2022, transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas drew controversy following her winning two titles in the women's NCAA swimming championships. She was labeled a "cheat" by University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who tied with Thomas in the 200-meter freestyle.

Following President Joe Biden proposing an amendment to Title IX forbidding U.S. schools and colleges from banning transgender girls from participating in girls' sports, the Prairie State Wire reported that Illinois is currently one of 29 states allowing transgender girls from taking part in girl's' sports. The other 28 states are as follows: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.