Mississippi Passes bill Blocking Transgender Athletes From Participating In Girls’ Sports
It is expected that Gov. Tate Reeves (R) will sign the bill into law
On Wednesday, The Mississippi House passed a bill ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports across the state.
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The bill is now headed to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves’ desk, who is also expected to sign the bill.
The bill, dubbed the Mississippi Fairness Act, was passed 81-28 on Wednesday, and while six representatives did not vote, seven others voted “present.”
The Republican-controlled state Senate passed the bill 34-9 in February.
The ban will apply to state schools and universities. ABC News reported that it would require “any public school and university that is a member of the Mississippi High School Activities Association and NCAA, among other associations, to designate their athletic teams as male, female or co-ed and restrict athletes assigned male at birth from joining female teams.”
Last year, Idaho became the first state to pass a similar law banning trans women from competing in women’s sports. However, the new law was suspended by a federal district court and it has yet to be enacted.
Mississippi Republican State Sen. Angela Hill, who sponsored the bill, stated:
“If we do not move to protect female sports from biological males who have an unfair physiological advantage, we will eventually no longer have female sports.
This issue is imminent in Mississippi. We have to make a statement that women matter, female sports matter.”
According to Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David, the state was clearly on the “wrong side of history”:
“There is simply no justification for banning transgender girls and women from participating in athletics other than discrimination.
Like all girls, transgender girls just want to play and be part of a team with their friends. History will not look kindly on this moment in Mississippi.”
He added:
“These dangerous bills are designed to make the lives of transgender kids more difficult while they try to navigate their adolescence.”
Back in January, President Joe Biden issued an executive order extending protections against discrimination of gender identity and sexual orientation, and said:
“Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love. Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or the school sports.”
Mississippi is currently one of more than 20 states where lawmakers have proposed restrictions on trans athletes playing on sports teams.
At the moment, only 17 states allow transgender high school athletes to participate in sports without regulation.
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Source: Edition CNN
