McHenry Times

President Joe Biden’s announcement about altering the parameters of Title IX to allow transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams isn’t sitting well with some people on the other side of the political aisle.

“I wish that the President would spend his time attending to more pressing matters that this country is facing over rule-making,” Illinois State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R) told the McHenry Times. “There are a lot of other government officials that can worry about things like that.”

Biden early this month announced plans to amend the parameters of Title IX. In light of that, the Prairie State Wire reported that Illinois is one of 29 states that allow transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports on the high school level. 

“Women fought very hard for Title IX and allowing men, just because they say they identify a certain way, when they’re biologically different from women is not what we should be doing,” Ugaste said.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month stopped short of reversing a lower court’s verdict that blocked enforcement of a law passed two years ago in West Virginia that prohibited transgender girls from taking part in girls’ high school sports, the Prairie State Wire said. 

The notion of allowing transgender girls to compete against girls at the high school and collegiate levels makes it much harder for females to succeed in their chosen spots. Last year, University of Pennsylvania male swimmer Will “Lia” Thomas won two titles in the women’s NCAA swimming championships. Thomas was later scorned, being labeled  a “cheat.” One of those who criticized Thomas was University of Kentucky star Riley Gaines, who tied Thomas in the 200-meter freestyle championships.

“It just isn’t the right thing to do,” Ugaste said. “I would think it may change the face of women’s sports as we know it.”

Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, 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 are the states that allow transgender girls to participate on girls’ sports teams.