Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird among athletes who sign letter opposing Protection of Girls and Women in Sports Act

Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird and Becky Sauerbrunn were among the 40 professional, Olympic and paralympic athletes who co-signed a letter to House lawmakers in opposition to the Protection of Girls and Women in Sports Act.

Athlete Ally, an athlete group that supports LGBTQ+ initiatives, sent the letter on Monday, according to Sports Illustrated. The athletes believe the bill wouldn’t protect women in sports but rather exclude women and girls from getting "mental and physical health benefits."

"We believe that gender equity in sport is critical, which is why we urge policymakers to turn their attention and effort to the causes women athletes have been fighting for decades, including equal pay, an end to abuse and mistreatment, uneven implementation of Title IX, and a lack of access and equity for girls of color and girls with disabilities, to name only a few. Our deepest hope is that transgender and intersex kids will never have to feel the isolation, exclusion and othering that H.R. 734 is seeking to enshrine into law," the letter reads.