Quigley Defends Trans Youth, Opposes Bill Empowering Bullies and Discrimination

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a Vice-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, spoke on the floor in opposition to H.R. 28, Republican legislation designed to harm trans youth. Following a vote on the bill, Quigley released the following statement:

“Instead of focusing on lowering prices for American families or addressing the growing natural disaster in California, Republicans are using the first weeks of the new Congress to attack vulnerable populations. This time, they’ve chosen to target kids.

“Prioritizing this legislation is not only a waste of this body’s time but harms all young people – including and especially the young women Republicans purport to want to protect. This legislation opens the door to subjecting all female students to intrusive demands for medical tests, and it could force any girl to undergo invasive medical exams to “prove” that they’re a girl.

“I’ve played sports my entire life and raised two daughters who played youth sports. Banning trans kids from sports would at no point have improved the experiences of me or my daughters. All children deserve to play sports. I will not stand idly by while Republicans attack children and ignore the real issues everyday Americans care about.”

Video of Quigley’s remarks is available HERE.

Below are Quigley’s floor remarks as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Speaker, this bill is cynical, mean, and scapegoating of a vulnerable population. To make matters worse, this is a hateful attack on kids. 

Trans kids deserve to play sports just like their peers, and congress must not bar them from the field.  All young people should be able to benefit from team sports – building character, developing friendships, and improving their mental health. 

Organizations like the NCAA, International Olympic Committee, and state athletic boards have included trans athletes for years. Instead of following their lead, my colleagues want to codify hate and discrimination against all transgender kids in all sports. 

Not so long ago, all women were banned from school sports until the passage of title ix in the 1970s and even then, extremists preached that women playing sports was the end of sports as we know it. I firmly believe that today’s rhetoric about trans women and girls is no different and will soon be seen as just outdated and absurd.

We must lead with empathy and a commitment to learn from our neighbors.

Every child should be able to join a team that is consistent with their gender and benefits from sports.