View of the Kupitol Dome in Harrisburg. (Tim Lambert/Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
This story was updated on July 9, 2025 at 11:00 to take into account the date of the meeting of the Educational Committee.
Members of the Republican minority in the State Chamber tried to vote on a law that would prohibit transgender athletes in the sport of women in public schools and public schools.
But on Tuesday, democrats blocked them in the home education committee.
. Bill The Senate controlled by GOP has already passed, and five Democrats joined each Republican in support of him. After moving to the chamber controlled by a democrat, the act stopped in the educational committee.
The Republicans of House Maneuvr tried to force voting, they are called a resolution of exemptions, which allows 25 legislators to petition to overtake the law from the commission after sitting for 15 days of the session.
But the democrats from the panel again revived the middle of the House Health Commission, effectively resetting the clock and avoiding voting on the proposal itself.
Voting for reference was adopted on party lines, 14-12. Nine Republicans spoke against movement in order to effectively block voting on the act, framing the basic issue as “security” and presenting the Democrats movement as a way to stop the debate.
“It is time for us to stand with our athletes in Pennsylvania,” said Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) representative, chairman of the committee minority. “Not only do they deserve fair arrows on the pitch, but I believe that they have won a fair voice and a full voice on the floor at home.”
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Rep. Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh), chairman of the Education Committee, said in a statement that he was opposed to the act and he belongs to the Health Committee instead of his own.
“I will never support the provisions that are focused on any endangered community, including our LGBTQia+ neighbors, “said Schweyer.” He simply stated that SB 9 would make it difficult for children who had serious and serious intimidation. “
Schweyer added that defending the decision to push the law from the panel: “SB 9 would not add one teacher to the class, would not fix one broken air conditioner, will not buy one new textbook or help one child to get to study or find a good paid job. “
Pushing the vote on this means will take place after the University of Pennsylvania agreed to prohibit transgender athletes in genital sports at the beginning of this month, after the pressure of Trump’s administration. In the current situation, 27 states have prohibitions of transgender athletes participating in school sports.
Until February, Pennsylvania Intesscholastic Athletic Association allowed transgender athletes to participate in women’s sport, but changed the rules to comply with the executive ordinance signed by President Donald Trump.
The United States Supreme Court agreed to examine cases for bans in Western Virginia and Idaho last week
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Corinne Goodwin, chairwoman of Eastern Pa Trans Equity Project, said that transgender athletes, like all students, benefit from participation in school sports.
“When they participate in school sports, our youth learn important lessons, in this way of winning with dignity, how to lose with Grace, how to support their teammates and how to play according to the rules” – wrote Goodwin in a statement.
She added movements to ban transgender athletes from school sport, it can have a negative impact on all students, and the anti-transgender rhetoric, which may accompany these efforts, had a harmful effect on the health of Pennsylvania’s transgender.
“As an example of how this influence, connections/contacts with our information and recommending line increased this year by more than 100%, as did attendance in community support groups,” they added. “People – especially parents of transgender youth – are concerned not only about mental health, but also about physical security.”
