MO Lawmakers To Debate Transgender High School Athlete Bill

Transgendered high school athletes will be the topic of discussion for a Missouri House committee this week. If the bill is approved by voters, transgender athletes would have to play on teams based on their biological sex and girls could no longer play football with the boys, for instance. State Representative Robert Ross, who’s sponsoring the resolution, says female athletes are being robbed of opportunities to continue to the next level because males have a competitive edge.

During a public hearing, Ross reiterated that the measure is meant to be fair to all high school athletes.

“Some of the female athletes who are stars in their own right were knocked out of competition or the ability to proceed on then ultimately scholarships based on some males being allowed to compete against them.”

During that public hearing, Brandon Boulware of Kansas City says the resolution would squash his 10-year-old transgender daughter’s spirit.

“It will mean my daughter cannot play on her girls volleyball team anymore,” he says. “It will mean my daughter will not have the opportunity that all of us had – to play on a team, to belong to something bigger, greater than ourselves.”

Other opponenets of the legislation, like Olivette Democrat Tracy McCreery, believes playing sports teaches kids cooperation, team spirit and can keep them out of trouble, saying competition is competition.

“I feel like maybe I’ve done some harm to the guys cross country team from the mid 1980s because I beat every single one of them in cross country. And so I feel really bad about that now. I didn’t realize that – wow, I didn’t realize that.”

A Senate committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday about a similar measure sponsored by Shelbina Republican Cindy O’Laughlin.