Protecting the playing field: GOP urges governors to take action on women’s sports

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Sens. Jim Risch and Tommy Tuberville are urging governors across the country to adhere to President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep men out of women’s sports while also demanding state-level action to ensure female athletes “receive the same assurance of fairness nationwide.”

In February, Trump issued an executive order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports and affirmed the position that the U.S. “must preserve fairness, safety, and equal opportunity for female athletes.”

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Fox News Digital obtained a letter authored by Risch, R-Idaho, and Tuberville, R-Ala., and sent to the National Governor’s Association. The senators said their states have taken “decisive action to protect women’s sports” but “many governors have yet to do so” and are “jeopardizing a fair playing field for female athletes.”

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho (Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images)

“The majority of Americans agree that biological men should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports,” they wrote, saying that the executive order “reinforces a fundamental truth: women and girls deserve an even playing field on which they can compete and excel in athletics.” 

“The science is clear that the biological differences between men and women are significant and must be recognized in athletic competition … Protecting women’s categories is essential to preserving the rights and opportunities that generations of women have fought to secure.” 

Risch and Tuberville wrote that it is “misguided policies” that have “robbed too many women of their earned athletic opportunities and successes and forced them into uncomfortable, and even unsafe, situations.” 

“State-level action is vital to ensure America’s female athletes receive the same assurance of fairness nationwide,” they wrote, applauding states that have taken “meaningful action” on the president’s executive order to demonstrate their “clear commitment to fairness, safety and the future of women’s sports.” 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Risch and Tuberville are urging states that have not yet taken action to “take the necessary steps to align with President Trump’s Executive Order immediately.” 

Risch and Tuberville said they are “ready to partner with governors and state leaders to implement policies that protect women and girls in sports.” 

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“Together, we will ensure that the progress made to expand and strengthen women’s athletic opportunities continues for decades to come,” they wrote. 

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Risch and Tuberville introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in the Senate to codify Trump’s executive order. 

Risch and Tuberville also recently sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee urging it to safeguard opportunities for female athletes during the Olympic Games. In addition, they wrote to the NCAA requesting clarification on its stance on the privacy and safety of female athletes in women’s changing rooms.