THE RAATZ ROUNDUP
Submitted for use on Oct. 16, 2025
Word Count: 330
College athletes put in a lot of work to be the best they can be. They balance their schedules around classes, studying, practicing and going to athletic events, all for the love of the sport they play.
Recently though, we have seen more instances of biological males competing in female sports. This trend threatens the hard work that female athletes put into their sports and threatens their health and safety. There have been numerous examples of women being injured by biological male competitors, including a North Carolina high school volleyball player who was knocked unconscious when a biological male player spiked a ball at her head.
Having biological males on a team also takes roster spots and scholarships away from women. Perhaps most concerning, it also violates a woman's sense of privacy in the locker room, knowing she is changing in front of a biological man.
To defend female athletes, I supported House Enrolled Act 1041, which protects fair and safe competition in women's sports.
HEA 1041 allows only biological females based on the person's sex at birth to participate in female sports at Indiana colleges and universities. It also allows a student who is harmed by a violation of this law to bring a civil action against the school that permitted the violation.
This law still allows all students to play sports – males simply must compete with peers of the same biological sex or play on a co-ed team.
HEA 1041 expands upon a law the General Assembly passed in 2022, which prevents biological males from competing in K-12 sports. Indiana also joins 22 other states which have passed similar laws protecting the integrity of women's sports.
Women deserve to have fair competition on the playing field, and this law helps ensure that this is the case.
Constituents can reach out to me with any questions or concerns they may have by filling out a "Contact Me" form on the IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Raatz website or by calling my office at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond) represents Senate District 27, which includes
Henry, Union and Wayne counties, and portions of Franklin County.
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