Seattle City Wire

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Washington's 7th district since 2017, has voiced her concerns on social media regarding fairness in sports and related political actions. Jayapal, who succeeded Jim McDermott in Congress and previously served in the Washington State Senate, shared her thoughts through a series of tweets.

On February 6, 2025, Rep. Jayapal stated, "I want to be clear: Americans do have concerns about fairness in sports, and it’s important that we have those conversations and educate people about the facts. But actions like Trump’s are not the answer." Her comment suggests that while she acknowledges public concerns about sports fairness, she opposes former President Trump's approach to addressing these issues.

In another tweet on the same day, she highlighted statistics from the NCAA president concerning transgender athletes: "The NCAA President — a former GOP governor — said that out of 500,000 NCAA athletes, he was aware of less than 10 that were trans. Trump and Republicans are picking out a tiny portion of the population, vilifying them, and stoking fear. That’s dangerous and has real…" This statement criticizes efforts by Trump and Republican lawmakers to focus on a small segment of the athlete population.

Further elaborating on her stance against categorical bans affecting women and girls in sports, Jayapal tweeted: "Categorical bans like this one harm all women and girls and are incredibly invasive to implement. How do you verify 'reproductive biology?' If a young girl doesn’t look feminine enough, is she subject to examination? I don’t think any of us are okay with that." She questions the practicality and ethical implications of such policies.