MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that prohibits schools from allowing transgender students to play on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
The bill says, in summary:
Relating to public K-12 schools; to provide that no public K-12 school may participate in, sponsor, or provide coaching staff for athletic events at which athletes are allowed to participate in competition against athletes who are of a different biological gender, unless the event specifically includes both biological genders.
Another section states:
A public K-12 school may not allow a biological 8 female to participate on a male team if there is a female team 9 in a sport. A public K-12 school may never allow a biological 10 male to participate on a female team.
Supporters of the bill say transgender girls are born bigger and faster and have an unfair advantage in competition. Opponents say the bills are rooted in discrimination and fear and could cost states from hosting sporting events.
Full text below:
Other states which have passed, or attempted to pass, bills restricting the rights of transgender students, including Idaho, North Carolina, and Texas, have suffered financial repercussions,
The NCAA has taken a stand on the issue, saying:
The NCAA Board of Governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports. This commitment is grounded in our values of inclusion and fair competition.
The NCAA has a long-standing policy that provides a more inclusive path for transgender participation in college sports. Our approach — which requires testosterone suppression treatment for transgender women to compete in women’s sports — embraces the evolving science on this issue and is anchored in participation policies of both the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Inclusion and fairness can coexist for all student-athletes, including transgender athletes, at all levels of sport. Our clear expectation as the Association’s top governing body is that all student-athletes will be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to ensuring that NCAA championships are open for all who earn the right to compete in them.
When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected. We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.
RELATED: Opponents of bills to ban trans youth medical treatment say 'they cannot be legislated away'
