Minnesota House Republicans on Tuesday attempted to advance three separate bills they said protect safe and fair athletic competitions for biological females; Democrats blocked each proposal.
State Rep. Chris Swedzinsk (R-Ghent) said the effort responds to recent news that the Department of Justice is suing Minnesota for failing to protect girls sports and women-only spaces. The legislation follows a recent International Olympic Committee decision banning men from women’s Olympic events.
The Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12) is one of three bills House Republicans looked to approve. It specifically states that only female students may participate in school sports restricted on the basis of sex to women or girls. By failing to pass it into law, Swedzinski said the door remains open for biological males to continue participating in Minnesota girls sports even though polls show around 80 percent of people agree with the bill’s position.
“It’s deeply concerning that House Democrats voted against measures to ensure safe and fair competition for girls,” Swedzinski said in a news release. “This decision defies common sense and reflects a continued willingness to prioritize activist-driven policies over the views of most Minnesotans. Minnesotans deserve an explanation for why House Democrats once again put those protections at risk and potentially undermined decades of progress under Title IX.”
The action on the Minnesota House floor comes after the DOJ announced in March that it is suing Minnesota to protect girls sports. The suit alleges Minnesota is violating Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls competition, creating an unfair playing field and limiting opportunities for female athletes. It comes after Minnesota missed a key federal deadline of Jan. 2, 2026, to change its transgender athlete policy or risk penalties.
The Minnesota Supreme Court in October ruled that excluding males from female athletics based on sex qualifies as illegal “public accommodation” discrimination. Meanwhile, the Minnesota State High School League refuses to comply with a federal ban on biological males competing in female sports.
