State representative urges action to restrict transgender participation in women’s sports

Representative Barb Glime, a state lawmaker representing parts of Cumberland County, told radio host Charlie Greenwald that concerns about transgender athletes in female competitions prompted lawmakers to draft and advance policy she said would protect women’s sports.

Glime said she and other women coalesced around the issue after public debate involving trans swimmer Lia Thomas and Riley Gaines, and that they developed strategy and legislation that later became House Bill 972, which she said was considered by the Education Committee where she serves. “We have to do something about this. This cannot stand,” Glime said on the program, describing the work she and other women put together in 2021.

Why it matters: Glime framed the issue as one of both fairness and safety for female athletes. She pointed to perceived physiological differences — size, strength and lung capacity — and to the emotional impact when girls and women lose competitive opportunities they trained for over many years.

Glime also discussed Title IX and testing standards for elite competition, saying Olympic and collegiate rules about testosterone and doping have been inconsistent in practice. She described outreach to Olympic officials and said, “If the Olympic Committee did it, then NCAA would do it, then PIAA would do it,” arguing that coordinated action could secure a separate competitive category for women.

On legislation and politics: Glime said Senate Bill 9 previously cleared legislative votes and that related measures have already passed both chambers in earlier sessions. She told listeners the House currently has the votes to pass similar legislation but that Democratic leadership and the governor have resisted bringing the measure to a floor vote. “We have the votes,” she said, urging constituents to contact House leaders.

Funding and facilities: Drawing on experience as a former school board director, Glime cited examples she said show lingering facility and funding gaps between boys’ and girls’ programs. She said new girls’ wrestling programs and other expansions will require investments to meet Title IX expectations.

What happened next: The program ended the interview without reporting any new, formal legislative action during the broadcast; Glime urged continued constituent engagement.

Sources and limitations: The article reports statements made on the May program by Representative Glime. Legislative references (House Bill 972, Senate Bill 9) and numerical or technical claims (for example, about testing thresholds or past votes) are presented here as the guest described them on air and were not independently verified in this broadcast transcript.