The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

Some issues in public policy are complicated, but this isn’t one of them. As a father, grandfather, and legislator, I believe children deserve protection. I believe parents deserve a voice in their children’s lives. I believe girls deserve a fair opportunity to compete in sports. That is why I have consistently supported legislation to protect children from irreversible medical interventions and preserve fairness in girls’ athletics.

Over the past several years, Wisconsin Republicans introduced legislation to prohibit gender-transition procedures for minors and to ensure that athletic competitions designated for girls remain reserved for biological females. Those proposals became Assembly Bills 100, 102, and 104 during the current legislative session.

I proudly voted for those bills. Unfortunately, Governor Tony Evers vetoed them.

Since those vetoes, the legal landscape has changed in an important way. On June 30, the United States Supreme Court upheld state laws protecting girls’ and women’s sports by reserving female athletic competitions for biological females. In doing so, the Court confirmed that states have the constitutional authority to enact laws preserving fairness in girls’ athletics. Wisconsin now has even greater legal certainty that it can adopt similar protections if the Legislature chooses to do so.

These are deeply personal and emotional issues for many families. But when the health, safety, and long-term well-being of children are involved, government has an obligation to proceed with caution.

Children cannot vote, sign contracts, purchase alcohol, serve on a jury, or make countless other life-altering decisions because society recognizes that judgment and maturity develop over time. Yet some argue that children should be permitted to undergo medical interventions that can result in permanent physical changes, infertility, lifelong medical dependence, and other irreversible consequences. I disagree.

A recent study published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood found that the recorded prevalence of gender dysphoria and gender incongruence among children and young people in England increased roughly 50-fold between 2011 and 2021, rising from approximately 1 in 60,000 children to about 1 in 1,200. Researchers also found that beginning around 2014, diagnoses increased more rapidly among females than males. That dramatic shift raises important questions.

In my view, we would be making a mistake if we ignored the possibility that some of what we are witnessing resembles other social phenomena that have affected adolescents in previous generations. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, parents, educators, and health professionals became increasingly concerned about the influence of media and peer culture on eating disorders and body image among teenage girls. Today, many families are asking whether similar pressures may be contributing to the rise in gender-related distress among adolescents.

I am also concerned by educational and cultural trends that increasingly encourage children to view their identity through the lens of gender and sexuality at younger and younger ages. Schools should focus on helping students master reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. Parents, not government institutions, should play the primary role in guiding children through questions about identity, values, and personal development.

These concerns are not limited to Wisconsin or the United States. Countries that were once considered leaders in pediatric gender medicine, including England, Sweden, and Finland, have significantly re-evaluated or restricted certain medical interventions for minors while calling for stronger evidence and greater emphasis on mental health support.

The debate surrounding girls’ sports has followed a similar path. For decades, Title IX opened doors for female athletes and created opportunities that previous generations never enjoyed. The issue is not whether every child should be treated with dignity and respect. They should. The issue is whether biological differences matter in athletic competition. Anyone who has watched high school athletics understands the answer.

The purpose of girls’ sports is not to exclude anyone. It is to ensure that female athletes have a fair opportunity to compete, earn scholarships, set records, and achieve success on a level playing field. The Supreme Court’s recent decision recognizes that states have a legitimate interest in preserving those opportunities through separate athletic competitions based on biological sex. Protecting those opportunities is not discrimination. It is the very reason separate girls’ athletic programs exist in the first place.

As lawmakers, our responsibility is not to follow the latest social trend. Our responsibility is to make decisions that serve the long-term interests of Wisconsin’s children. I believe that means protecting minors from irreversible medical decisions until they are adults. I believe that means preserving fairness in girls’ sports. I believe that means respecting the role of parents. I believe that means continuing to speak up even when doing so is politically unpopular in some circles.

I will continue working to protect children, defend parental rights, and preserve opportunities for girls and young women. Some issues in public policy are complicated. Protecting kids is not one of them.

Knodl, R-Germantown, represents the 24th Assembly District.