State Sen. Donato on protecting women's sports

Legislation authored by State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, aimed at protecting women's sports at the collegiate level recently passed the Indiana Senate and now goes to the governor for consideration as a new law. 

State Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, says she was pleased to support the legislation.

"In 1972, Title IX was signed into law, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in higher education and giving women greater opportunity to play college sports," she said. "However, some universities have allowed biological men to compete on women's sports teams. The Biden Administration added to the confusion by unilaterally altering Title IX to strip protections for biological women last year." 

Donato notes that biological males have inherent advantages when it comes to participating in athletics. As such, it is unfair and even dangerous to allow biological males to participate on women’s sports teams, she adds. 

"For that reason, the Indiana General Assembly recently passed House Enrolled Act 1041, which I sponsored, with bipartisan support to protect women's sports by preventing biological males from participating on college women’s athletic teams," she said. "This legislation builds upon House Enrolled Act 1041 (2022), which prevents biological males from participating in K-12 women's sports, as well as Gov. Braun's and President Trump's recent executive orders to protect women's college sports."