(The Lion) — Pennsylvania Republicans are taking action, hoping to permanently prevent transgender-identifying males from unfairly competing in women’s sports.

The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate voted 32-18 last week on legislation that would prevent male transgender athletes from competing in women’s interscholastic sports. Five Democrats joined Republicans in approving the measure.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association already prohibits males from women’s sports, but this bill would effectively codify the change.

State Sen. Judy Ward, R-Hollidaysburg, who supported the bill, told NBC Philadelphia it would “ensure all young women have a fair chance to compete in the sports they love.”

The measure is unlikely to become law, since Democrats narrowly control the state’s House of Representatives and are unlikely to bring it up for a vote. Additionally, Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has previously supported transgender athletes in girls’ sports.

“This bill is nothing more than cruel, designed to discriminate against transgender youth who just want to play sports like their peers,” Shapiro posted on X in September 2021 as Republicans pushed similar legislation. “Our @GovernorTomWolf will veto this & defend our LGBTQ+ community – but *this* is the GOP’s vision for Pennsylvania.”

Shapiro also posted in 2021, while running for governor, “I’ll veto this discriminatory bill if it gets to my desk.”

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association altered its policy earlier this year to prevent males from playing girls’ sports. It was one of several state athletic bodies to make the change following an executive order from President Donald Trump earlier this year. The order directs federal agencies to withhold funding from states and schools that let males compete in women’s sports.

“We are tracking and assessing the law as it evolves and encourage all member schools to do the same,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said in a February 2025 statement. “PIAA will comply with the law as established.”

State athletic bodies in Virginia, Nebraska and Wisconsin also followed suit, in addition to the NCAA.

Over 30 states now have laws or policies restricting male transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

An NBC News poll released last month found that 75% of Americans oppose male transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports, while just 25% support it.