Peoria Standard

Travis Weaver, a state representative for Illinois House District 93, said the importance of maintaining fairness in women's sports after expressing support for female athletes in Naperville.

"We MUST have fairness in women's sports," said Travis Robert Weaver, State Representative from Illinois. "What happened this week in Naperville is wrong. But to the girls who deserved victory, I'm so proud of you. Don't stop running."

A recent middle school track meet in Naperville, Illinois, has sparked debate over fairness in girls’ athletics. A transgender student-athlete won multiple events at Jefferson Junior High School, leading to a heated District 203 school board meeting where parents and community members expressed concerns about the inclusion of transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Advocacy group Awake Illinois responded by filing a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, alleging policy violations. This controversy has reignited statewide and national discussions on equity and inclusion in school sports.

According to the 2023–24 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Participation Survey, Illinois recorded a total of 148,221 high school athletes, including 65,131 girls. The top sports for girls were basketball with 17,560 participants and track and field with 15,145 athletes. These participation numbers reflect a consistent presence of girls in high school athletics across the state and highlight the importance of policies that impact access and fairness in these programs.

As of 2025, twenty-three U.S. states have enacted laws limiting transgender students from competing in school sports aligned with their gender identity. According to ESPN, these laws vary; some require athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth while others impose medical verification. Illinois remains among states without such restrictions, allowing transgender students to participate according to their gender identity. This positions the state within a broader national divide on sports inclusion policies.

According to the Illinois General Assembly’s official site, Representative Travis Robert Weaver has served the 93rd District since January 11, 2023. A Republican from Peoria, Weaver holds degrees from the University of Alabama and Northwestern University and previously worked at Caterpillar in finance and strategy. In the legislature, he sits on committees including Appropriations-Public Safety, Energy & Environment, and Revenue & Finance.