Tempers exploded in the Illinois General Assembly this week as lawmakers clashed over one of the most explosive issues in the country: biological males competing in girls’ sports. The flashpoint? A recent high school track event in Naperville where a transgender athlete dominated a girls’ race—once again fueling outrage and national attention.

The debate in Springfield spiraled into chaos Wednesday as Democrats and Republicans traded fiery accusations on the House floor.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat from Chicago, sparked the blowup by accusing Republicans of being “obsessed with children’s genitalia”—a line that’s become a favorite of the far-left in recent attempts to smear common-sense protections for female athletes. The claim was first trotted out during a failed attempt to block the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act earlier this year.

Republican Rep. Blaine Wilhour fired back, calling out Democrats for actively promoting irreversible hormone treatments for minors while ignoring the rights of girls. “What we’ve seen in Naperville, that’s not fair competition. Not only that, it’s abusive,” Wilhour said, calling it a “clear violation of Title IX.”

The Naperville track incident continues to reverberate across the state. A community school board meeting on Monday devolved into shouting matches and drew national media coverage, as outraged parents demanded action. But Democrats like Rep. Anna Stava-Murray, who represents the district, defended the transgender student and blasted critics as “bullies.”

“This child didn’t ask to be in the national spotlight,” she insisted, attacking fellow lawmakers for using the controversy as a “political talking point.”

But Republican Rep. Adam Niemerg wasn’t backing down. He reminded lawmakers—and the public—that President Trump has already issued an executive order banning biological males from competing in girls’ sports, and warned Illinois risks losing federal funding if it refuses to comply.

“Folks, this nonsense has to stop,” Niemerg said. “You want federal dollars? Then stop embracing policies that 90 or 95% of the people oppose!”

He also ripped the media for downplaying the story. “Ask the governor directly, press him on this issue, and stop lying about what is going on here in Illinois,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Mary Miller has doubled down on her demand for federal intervention, writing to Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. She’s now calling for a specific investigation into the Naperville race and demanding that the Biden-era policies still embedded in Illinois be stripped away.

Adding fuel to the fire, Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher also weighed in, blasting the transgender sports policy as a violation of basic fairness.

“There are certain things men do better than women,” Urlacher said on a recent podcast. “If I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would raise hell about it.”

State law currently allows transgender athletes to compete according to gender identity. That decision, reaffirmed by the Illinois High School Association and Attorney General Kwame Raoul in April, puts the state on a collision course with federal officials enforcing Trump’s executive order.

One middle school already faces a federal civil rights investigation after reports surfaced that girls were forced to change in front of a trans-identifying student in a locker room—fueling the growing number of parents, teachers, and students demanding change.

As Illinois stares down possible funding cuts and legal challenges, Democrats continue to insist the debate is about “protecting children.” But it’s becoming increasingly clear that more and more parents—and voters—think the real issue is protecting girls from an ideology that has lost all connection to reality.