The Republican governor of Florida yesterday signed a law banning transgender women from participating in girls’ school sports. Previously, eight states passed a similar law.
“We believe it is very important to protect the integrity of these tournaments,” Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said when he signed the controversial bill Friday, the first day of Pride Month. “In Florida, girls do girls’ sports and boys do boys’ sports. We base ourselves on biology and not ideology when we play sports.
From July 1, an athlete who was not born as a woman will not be allowed to participate in women’s sports sponsored by schools. The ban does not apply to primary school children.
“non-issue”
The National Athletics Association (NCAA), which organizes, among other things, interschool athletic competitions, opposes the new law and threatens to boycott Florida. Ha Policy Transgender girls are allowed to participate in girls’ teams after undergoing a year of treatment to lower their testosterone levels. For example, “Inclusion and equity for all students, including transgender athletes, can coexist at all levels of the sport.”
DeSantis’ conservative party has not provided concrete examples of schools in Florida suffering from unfair competition. Yesterday he referred to Connecticut, where trans girls host a number of athletic competitions won. According to Jeff Altier, director of sports at Stetson University in Florida, this is “not an issue” in his state. On Ledger, a local newspaper, states that his university follows NCAA policy. It didn’t cause any problems.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) will challenge the law in court. “Governor DeSantis is creating legislation based on a false and discriminatory premise that threatens the safety and well-being of transgender children,” said group president Alfonso David.
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The new law is part of a broader Republican campaign against transgender rights. Eight states have previously passed similar laws, including Alabama, Idaho, Arkansas, South Dakota, and Mississippi. Florida is the largest state to have such a ban on school sports.
Supporters of those laws say they want to protect fair competition in women’s sports, because trans women will have an unfair advantage due to their high testosterone levels. For opponents, the ban amounts to discrimination.
The first athlete to cross in the Olympics
The debate about trans women in sports is also coming to the fore in other countries, especially now that the Olympics are on the horizon. In 2016, the International Olympic Committee revised its guidelines. Transgender men born to girls are allowed to participate without restrictions. Transgender women must be on hormone therapy for 12 months. Their testosterone level should not exceed ten nanomols per liter.
New Zealand weightlifting Laurel Hubbard He may become the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.
