On September 20, the Texas legislature began the Third Special Session, making it a total of four sessions for the 87th Legislature. Concerned Women for America of Texas has been in Austin for all four sessions working to pass legislation that aligns with CWA’s seven core issues.
This week, HB 25, a girls’ sports bill sponsored by State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Dist. 150), was assigned to the Select Constitutional Rights and Remedies Committee. Now it’s time to activate our prayer and action network to see that HB 25 is passed and signed into law.
A majority of Texans support protecting female athletes from physical harm and losing scholarships and endorsements. A majority of Texas legislators support the right and opportunity of girls to compete in their own sports. Gov. Greg Abbott has put legislation to protect girls’ sports on the Special Session call three times for the 87th Legislature. The Texas Senate has passed the girls’ sports bill four times. Now it’s time for the Texas House to pass the girls’ sports bill.
This issue affects Texans of all races, cultures, and backgrounds. According to Texas Education Agency (TEA) statistics for the 2019-20 school year, there are approximately 862,137 females of African American, Hispanic, and other ethnicities and approximately 318,953 white females.1 Since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, national statistics show two in five girls (40%) now participate in school sports.2 So, school sports for grade 7-12 in Texas accounts for approximately 472,436 Texas girls. These statistics do not include private, parochial, or homeschool students.
The Third Session of the 87th Legislature ends on October 19, so it’s critical that you make your voice heard on this very important issue.
Please Act:
- Contact the office of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and urge him to prioritize HB 25 on the House Calendar Committee. (512) 463-1000 | Online Form
- Contact the members of the Select Constitutional Rights and Remedies Committee and ask them to support HB 25.
- Contact your state representative and ask them to protect girls’ sports and support HB 25. Find who represents you in the Texas House by clicking here.
- Forward this email to family and friends.
Please Pray:
- Pray that our young women will not be denied benefits from their God-given talents and abilities.
- Pray that the forces of evil will be cut off.
- Pray that citizens will wake up to their role in righteousness in government.
“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with the evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.” I Thessalonians 5:14-15
Sincerely,
Ann Hettinger
I’d like to provide an example for you: Alanna Smith is an African American high school athlete from Connecticut. She is from a family of exceptionally gifted athletes and is on track to play professional sports unless her opportunity is stolen by an undeserving biological male. Alanna, now a high school sophomore, is a short-distance runner (100m, 200m, and 400m). She was a 3-peat 100 Meter Connecticut state champ in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Her freshman year she learned she would be racing at the Connecticut State Open against a male who identifies as a female. No matter how many hours Alanna put into training or how hard she worked on speed, endurance, and strength, she had no chance to beat the physical strength of a biological male who previously ran in the men’s division. Alanna felt defeated before stepping onto the track.
In Connecticut alone, two biological boys have been running girls off the track since 2017. Between them, they have set seventeen individual state meet records—registering times that females have no hope of breaking. The sheer size and strength they bring to the track have resulted in more than eighty-five missed opportunities for girls to even qualify for the next level of competition. As they have continued breaking records and beating biological girls, it is simply not fair for anyone born as a boy to compete against girls. That unfairness does not go away because of what someone believes about their gender identity. 4
We must work hard to protect the rights that women have gained since Title IX when only one in 27 girls participated in school sports. When biological males are allowed to compete in girls-only sports, girls’ lives are permanently impacted.
1https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/enroll_2019-20.pdf