![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/nancy-pelosi-house-equality-act-story-e1558032669176.jpg\")
<\/a>(Al Drago\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
PETER HASSON
\nThe Daily Caller<\/p>\n
The Democratically controlled House of Representatives voted Friday 236-173 in favor of the Equality Act, which would require schools to include male athletes who identify as transgender girls on female sports teams.<\/p>\n
Eight Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the bill, which had unanimous Democratic support.<\/p>\n
The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make \u201csexual orientation and gender identity\u201d protected characteristics under federal anti-discrimination law.<\/p>\n
Among other things, that would force public schools to expand female athletic teams to include biological males who identify as transgender girls.<\/p>\n
Republican Florida Rep. Greg Steube introduced a last-minute amendment to the bill that would have preserved Title IX\u2019s protections of female athletic teams, but Democrats rejected it.<\/p>\n
Every House Democrat but one<\/a>\u00a0co-sponsored the legislation. The only Democrat who wasn\u2019t a co-sponsor, Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski,\u00a0announced<\/a> his support for the bill following pressure from left-wing activists.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople need to wake up. This radical bill is going to totally eliminate women\u2019s and girls sports,\u201d Republican Arizona Rep. Debbie Lesko\u00a0warned<\/a>\u00a0in an op-ed Thursday.<\/p>\n Republican Missouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler and a half-dozen other House Republicans held a press conference Thursday in opposition to what Hartzler dubbed the \u201cInequality Act.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCongress enacted Title IX to provide equal opportunities for women in education and sports. All this is erased under H.R. 5,\u201d Hartzler said at the press conference.<\/p>\n WATCH:<\/strong><\/p>\n