Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig has reignited the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports, condemning proposed legislation to restrict transgender women from competing on female teams as “bigoted” and “appalling.” Representing Minnesota’s second district, Craig has spoken out strongly against these bills, which she says unfairly target the LGBTQ+ community and trans women in particular.
Craig’s stance emerged in response to the 2020 Protect Women’s Sports Act, proposed by then-Representative Tulsi Gabbard, which aimed to restrict transgender women’s participation in federally funded female sports. “I am proud to stand with queer and transgender women in the face of intolerance,” Craig stated at the time. She called the legislation “narrow-minded” and harmful to the LGBTQ+ community. Although this bill did not advance, a new iteration, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, passed in April 2023, drawing renewed attention to the issue.
Republican challenger Joe Teirab is now using Craig’s position as a key campaign point in his bid for her congressional seat, appealing to those who see transgender participation in female sports as unfair. “Men shouldn’t compete against women in sports,” Teirab wrote on X.com, highlighting a recent UN report that claims many female athletes have lost medals to transgender competitors. “To the vast majority of Americans and Minnesotans who believe men shouldn’t compete against women in sports, are you @AngieCraigMN calling them transphobic, bigoted, and hateful?” he continued, attempting to leverage Craig’s words to cast her as out of touch with public opinion.
The debate is far from hypothetical for athletes like Payton McNabb, a high school volleyball player who suffered a traumatic brain injury after a transgender athlete spiked a ball toward her, resulting in partial paralysis. McNabb has since spoken out against mixed-sex competition in sports, even testifying before the Georgia Senate. “Women simply cannot prepare for that type of playing environment,” McNabb said. “It cannot be the case that the law requires that we accept that as the price of playing women’s sports.”
Proponents of restrictions on transgender athletes argue that biological differences in strength and speed create inherent imbalances in competitive fairness and safety. On the other side, Craig and advocates supporting inclusivity contend that transgender women deserve equal opportunities and access to the same athletic experiences.
With Election Day approaching, this contentious issue could shape Minnesota’s second district race and further intensify the national conversation around gender, sports, and inclusivity.
