WASHINGTON — Congressman Burgess Owens (R-UT) and U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) sent a letter today urging the Mountain West Conference to ban biological males from competing in women’s sports and to protect biological female student-athletes. Several women’s athletics programs at Mountain West member institutions, including Utah State’s women’s volleyball team, recently forfeited games, risking their competitive standing to ensure the safety of their female athletes due to the presence of a biological male on the opposing team’s roster.
“Title IX was created to secure a level playing field for our daughters and granddaughters—so they could compete, excel, and dream big without fear of being sidelined by politics or the dismissal of biological realities,” said Congressman Owens. “The Mountain West Conference has a responsibility to protect the integrity of women’s sports and the safety of its athletes. Turning a blind eye to these realities not only undermines decades of progress but also puts young women in harm’s way. It’s time for leaders to step up and stand for fairness, safety, and common sense.”
Owens and Risch are joined by congressional Republicans from the Mountain West region, including U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Barrasso (R-WY), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Mitt Romney (R-UT), as well as U.S. Representatives Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Mike Simpson (R-ID), John Curtis (R-UT), Celeste Maloy (R-UT), Blake Moore (R-UT), and Harriet Hageman (R-WY).
Read the full letter to Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Neverez here.
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