This post originally appeared at https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/dave-considine/

“They might miss out on playing for this team or that team. Boy, that…sounds like selfishness.” – Rep. Dave Considine

Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) indicated that he believes girls just need to “work harder” if they don’t like losing to biological boys on the athletic field.

Considine also said parents who are concerned that their girls aren’t able to compete against biological boys in sports are “selfish.”

Dave Considine made the comments on October 12, 2023, as Republicans in the Wisconsin state Assembly passed a bill to ensure a level playing field for girls and young women by requiring that people compete on teams that match their biological gender at birth. Republicans also passed a bill banning castration, sterilization, and irreversible hormone treatments of transgender minors. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has pledged to veto both.

A Democrat, Dave Considine is a former goat farmer and special education teacher.

Dave Considine Video

Watch:

Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) says if parents are worried about their daughters missing out on scholarships or making a team in college because there are biological boys on their team – then they’re just selfish. pic.twitter.com/OLoKQTPngB

— MacIver News Service (@NewsMacIver) October 12, 2023

“The best we got was, well, some parents are concerned that their daughter might miss out on a scholarship,” Dave Considine said. “They might miss out on playing for this team or that team. Boy, that…sounds like selfishness. I’m sorry to label it that way but that sounds like what it is to me. I’m only worried about myself, I’m not worried about building the team and having my school have a powerful team.”

Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) says if biological girls don’t like losing to biological boys in girls sports, then they need to try harder. pic.twitter.com/x8yuxXRy73

— MacIver News Service (@NewsMacIver) October 12, 2023

“And my granddaughter who is playing college sports, I asked her about this when we had this two years ago, and she said you know what, if a trans woman was competing against me in the sport then that just means if that person is better than me, I need to work harder,” Considine also said.

Wisconsin State Rep Dave Considine (D) during a debate on a bill to ban boys from playing in girl’s sports, says if a boy is beating a girl, it means he’s better than her and she just needs to work harder pic.twitter.com/QJvgU59CwU

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 13, 2023

The reaction on social media was brutal. “Me to Wisconsin State Rep. Dave Considine: “Please go apologize to the trees. You’re wasting the oxygen they’re producing,” wrote one person on X.

On Facebook, Dave Considine continued his rant, writing, “Excluding trans athletes from participating in sports is not what kids want. Kids want to play together. The issue we are talking about is an adult problem.”