SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers are considering a controversial new proposal that would remove biological girls from girls’ sports teams in public schools and universities, a move supporters say is necessary to promote fairness, inclusivity, and “repair centuries of gender-based imbalance in athletics.”
The proposed legislation, introduced Tuesday by members of Oregon’s Equity and Identity in Sport Caucus, would prohibit students assigned female at birth from competing on teams designated for girls or women, citing concerns over “legacy advantages rooted in biological essentialism.”
“This is about making space for underrepresented identities in competitive environments,” said Rep. Devon Lin-Waters (D-Portland), who co-sponsored the bill. “The current system unfairly favors those who have always identified as girls — and it’s time to redistribute that space more equitably.”
Under the bill, biological girls would still be permitted to try out for boys' or mixed-gender teams, provided they complete a Gender Consciousness Impact Statement and participate in a three-week "allyship immersion clinic." Lawmakers stressed that the proposal would not lead to genital inspections, though the enforcement mechanism has yet to be finalized.
If passed, Oregon would be the first state to enact such a policy. Supporters argue it would mark a historic step toward what they call “sporting justice,” ensuring athletic programs reflect the evolving definitions of gender, competition, and inclusion.
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“This bill doesn’t exclude anyone,” said Jordan Reece (they/them), a former middle school shot put champion and now legislative advisor for the Office of Sport Equity. “It simply reimagines who gets to be included.”
Opponents, including parents and student-athletes, have expressed concern that the bill would effectively erase girls from their own sports. “My daughter trained for years to compete in track,” said Lisa Tomlinson, a mother from Eugene. “Now she might lose her spot to someone who joined the team last week because they ‘feel inspired by Serena Williams.’”
Civil liberties groups have also raised questions about the bill’s potential conflict with Title IX protections. “There’s a legal gray area here,” said Susan Delgado, senior policy analyst at the Oregon Athletic Rights Forum. “We’re essentially saying girls have had too much equality, and now it’s someone else’s turn.”
During Tuesday’s committee hearing, lawmakers heard testimony from several trans and nonbinary student-athletes who said the presence of cisgender girls created an emotionally unsafe environment. “I felt extremely marginalized being outscored by someone with a uterus,” said Sam/River (ze/hir), who recently joined the girls’ lacrosse team after previously competing in varsity football.
A companion bill introduced in the Senate would rename all school sports divisions using neutral terms like “Team Vibe,” “Competition Cluster A,” and “Flow-Based Movement Unit.”
At press time, the Oregon Department of Education had issued a statement affirming that “no athlete will be excluded — unless they were born that way.”
