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Letter: Transgender sports bill vote a slap to Patsy Mink | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Saturday, August 23rd 2025 at 20:25 GMT by Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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Letter to the Editor: “Transgender Sports Bill Vote a Slap to Patsy Mink” – What the Letter Tells Us About the Current Debate

When a letter to the editor appears in the Star Advertiser, it is usually a brief, opinionated plea from a reader to a wider audience. The recent letter titled “Transgender sports bill vote a slap to Patsy Mink” is no exception – but it is also unusually rich in context and history. The writer, whose name appears only as “P.S.”, uses the passage of a state bill that restricts transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports to remind readers of a forgotten hero of gender equality: Hawaii‑born congresswoman Patsy Mink.

The letter first locates the political moment: the 2025 legislative session in which the Hawaii State Legislature passed HB 2137, a bill that would require transgender women (or any person who identifies as female) to be physically “male at birth” and to have undergone at least a year of hormone therapy before being allowed to compete in women’s sports. The bill also bars transgender women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports in high‑school and collegiate competitions unless they meet the hormone‑therapy requirement.

P.S. frames the bill’s passage as “a slap to Patsy Mink,” a reference that may feel unfamiliar to some readers. The letter explains that Mink was the only woman of color to have ever served in the U.S. House of Representatives and that she was instrumental in co‑authoring Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex in any educational program that receives federal funds, a landmark victory that opened the doors to women’s sports programs across the country.

“Patsy Mink’s vision was that all students—regardless of gender—could compete on a level playing field,” P.S. writes. “Her legacy is a testament to fairness, opportunity, and the belief that the best athlete should win, not the most powerful lobby.” The letter laments that a bill designed to bar a segment of the student body from participation is not only a violation of Title IX principles but also a betrayal of the state’s own historical commitment to equality.

The letter goes on to describe how many of the state’s athletes and educators have been stunned by the bill’s language. In a short anecdote, P.S. recounts attending a local high‑school football practice, where a coach’s voice was heard with a mix of confusion and anger when a transgender teammate was told she could no longer play the “women’s team.” The coach’s statement—“I am not sure I can allow her to play, because of the new state law” — was seen as a direct result of the bill’s strict hormone‑therapy requirement. P.S. uses this personal observation to illustrate the “human cost” of the legislation.

In the final paragraphs, the writer calls upon the legislative body to “reverse the course of this unjust law.” The letter cites scientific studies that demonstrate how hormone therapy dramatically changes athletic performance and argues that the bill is built on a foundation of misinformation. It also calls for a more nuanced discussion about the inclusion of transgender athletes, referencing the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent guidance that encourages schools to adopt “affirmative and inclusive” policies. P.S. urges legislators to remember the spirit of Patsy Mink’s legacy and to ensure that Hawaiʻi remains a place where “sport is about fair competition, not political ideology.”

A key point that P.S. stresses is the political context: the bill was passed by a narrow margin, and many of the legislators who voted for it were urged by conservative groups that framed transgender inclusion as a threat to women’s safety and fairness. The letter points out that these arguments have a “long history” in U.S. politics, citing the 1990s “Women’s Sports Protection Act” and the 2018 federal Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County that clarified that discrimination based on gender identity is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The letter’s critique of the bill’s logic suggests that lawmakers have failed to heed these precedents.

Finally, P.S. concludes with a powerful appeal to readers: “If you believe in a Hawaii that gives all its children a chance to excel, then join us in opposing HB 2137.” The writer invites parents, coaches, students, and activists to call their representatives, write op‑eds, and support the Title IX Coalition, a local group that aims to keep Hawaii’s educational institutions compliant with federal equality laws.

Why the Letter Matters

The letter is more than a criticism of a single piece of legislation; it is a call to re‑examine how Hawaiʻi and the United States treat gender in sports. It invites readers to:

1. Remember History – Patsy Mink’s work on Title IX remains a foundational principle for equitable competition. Ignoring her legacy equates to forgetting the progress that has come from her advocacy.
2. Engage in Science‑Based Debate – The letter reminds readers that policy should be informed by peer‑reviewed studies, not political rhetoric.
3. Act Locally – By urging constituents to contact their legislators, the letter turns an abstract debate into a civic duty.

While the Star Advertiser did not publish a formal editorial on the subject, the letter itself has sparked conversations in community forums, school board meetings, and local media outlets. It also underscores the broader national conversation about transgender inclusion in sports—a debate that has recently been thrust into the spotlight in states across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending decision on a similar bill in Utah.

Follow‑Up Links

The letter includes two key hyperlinks that provide additional context:

• A link to a Hawaiʻi State Legislature page that details the text of HB 2137, including the specific provisions on hormone therapy and the date the bill was signed into law. This resource allows readers to verify the exact legal language and the timeline of the bill’s passage.
• A link to the Hawaiʻi Women’s Sports Coalition website, which offers resources for athletes and parents on how to navigate the new regulations, as well as a mailing list to stay informed about future legislative developments.

The combination of these resources, together with the letter’s passionate narrative, creates a clear picture of a community at a crossroads: balancing the rights of transgender athletes with the integrity of women’s sports. For anyone invested in Hawaiʻi’s future, the letter is a reminder that the fight for equality is ongoing—and that a single piece of legislation can either advance that fight or, as the writer warns, roll back a legacy of progress.