Lake County Gazette

Illinois Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Cahokia Heights) believes that an amendment to Title IX proposed by President Joe Biden would be unfair, as it would ban states from preventing boys from competing in high school girls' sports.

According to Prairie State Wire, Illinois is among the 29 states that allow boys to play against girls on the high school level, which Schmidt said is unfair.

"It simply is not fair to girls to allow biological males to compete in female sports," he told the Lake County Gazette. "Boys are faster and stronger and have no business competing against girls."

There has been controversy about whether trans girls (biological males) should be allowed to play on girls' high school athletic teams. | Pexels/Erica Busick Batten

Illinois joined 13 other states last year in the filing of a legal brief in an effort to overturn an Indiana law that prohibits transgender students from participating in school sports, according to the Journal-Courier. The U.S. Supreme Court also declined to overturn a lower court ruling that had blocked West Virginia’s enforcement of a law that banned boys from participation in girls’ high school sports. In addition, a federal appeals court in December rejected a challenge to Connecticut’s policy of allowing boys to participate in girls’ sports. Both of those cases are expected to be challenged, according to the Prairie State Wire.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped short of reversing a lower court’s verdict that blocked enforcement of a law passed two years ago in West Virginia that prohibited boys from taking part in girls’ high school sports. Politicians like Schmidt said such rulings don't create a level playing field.

"All we have to do is watch the news to see the advantage males have," he said. "Lia Thomas, who is a biological male, dominated in competition against biological women. Many of those races were not even close."

Former University of Pennsylvania men's team swimmer Lia (formerly Will) Thomas won two titles in the women’s NCAA swimming championships, but earned criticism from many, such as rival Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who Thomas tied in the 200-meter freestyle championship. Gaines and Schmidt have said Thomas has the edge as a biological man competing against women.

"Biology is real," Schmidt said. "Men and women are different. Men have more muscle mass, larger frames, and are faster and stronger as a result. Sports such as basketball, volleyball, softball, etc., can be very physical. We are putting our young girls at risk of serious injury by allowing biological males to compete against them."

Along with Illinois, the states that currently allow boys to participate in girls’ high school sports are: 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.

"Girls deserve the opportunity to compete in sports," Schmidt said. "Female athletes work too hard and put in countless hours of practice. They deserve a level playing field when they compete, and these efforts to allow males to compete against girls is doing nothing but destroying girls' sports."