The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) thanks Governor Gregory Abbott for protecting the health and safety of female athletes in the State of Texas.
On October 25th, Governor Abbott signed the Save Women’s Sports House Bill 25 into law. This law protects female athletes in public elementary schools through college from being forced to compete against biological males – a situation that due to innate physical advantages of males – not only places females at risk of physical harm but also at risk for losing championships or scholarship opportunities provided by Title IX. Texas law now reflects the biological reality in sports that males are bigger, stronger, and faster than females when matched for athletic training.
The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) Position Statement, Sex is a Biological Trait of Medical Significance, provides scientific evidence in support of this and similar laws.
“Among humans, sex is a dimorphic, innate and immutable trait established at fertilization by sex-determining genes located on the X and Y chromosomes. This sexual dimorphism is genetically programmed and is present in every nucleated somatic cell of the body; sex does not and cannot change.”
Dr. Michelle Cretella, Executive Director of ACPeds, elaborated, “Due to a combination of genetics and sex hormones, males are bigger, stronger and faster than females. Males are also more aggressive than females. Males who self-identify as female, including those who take estrogen, remain genetically male and therefore have no objective reason — let alone a right — to share restrooms and locker rooms, or to be housed with or competing against females.”
Texas is the ninth state to enshrine basic science in law and protect female athletes. ACPeds similarly commends the states of Idaho, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Florida, which preceded Texas in protecting female athletes with the passage of similar science-based laws.
