[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 18, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H1769-H1770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PROTECTING WOMEN AND GIRLS' SPORTS

  (Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a former 
female athlete, mother of two daughters who are athletes, lifelong 
runner, and former coach of girls' sports teams. This week we will vote 
on a bill to protect women and girls' sports. I led a similar bill in 
the Virginia Senate and look forward to supporting this measure in the 
U.S. House.
  I feel passionately about this issue and want to convey how important 
it is to protect women's sports for future generations.

[[Page H1770]]

  This bill is not about discriminating against any group of people, 
but rather protecting the benefits of allowing biological girls to push 
themselves and bond over a shared physical goal. Allowing women to 
excel in a physical activity promotes teamwork, sportsmanship, and 
self-confidence. Women's sports offer opportunities for young girls to 
discover their strengths and teach them that hard work pays off.
  Title IX protected these opportunities and allowed young women in 
this country to compete and win in fair fields of play. Biological men 
and women are physically different and should be respected for those 
differences.
  Failing to acknowledge these differences takes away opportunities for 
girls and women to succeed on the playing field. We cannot allow this 
to happen.
  I am proud to support the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports 
Act, and I strongly urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

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