Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds sparked outrage on the Left and cheers from the Right this week when she signed into law a ban on biological males competing in women’s sports leagues.
But Iowa is not the only state weighing laws that would limit the ability of biological men to compete in women’s sports.
IOWA GOV. KIM REYNOLDS SIGNS BILL BANNING BIOLOGICAL MALES FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS
The high-profile case of Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete who is biologically male, competing on the women’s swimming team for the University of Pennsylvania, has elevated the debate over the advantages trans athletes may have over their peers.
Thomas has shattered female league records, prompting some teammates to protest that Thomas’s presence on the team is unfair and supporters to argue that trans athletes should be permitted to compete on the team that corresponds to the gender with which they identify.
At least nine states are currently pursuing transgender sports bans with varying degrees of restrictions, according to Freedom for All Americans, a gay and transgender rights advocacy group.
Here are some of the other states that are working on laws to keep transgender athletes from women’s sports.
KANSAS
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill last year that would have implemented a transgender sports ban, and the Kansas state Legislature failed to override her veto by one vote.
Kansas lawmakers have since introduced a new bill that would implement the same ban, with a hearing for the policy scheduled for Monday.
The bill would “require that student athletic teams only include members who are of the same biological sex unless designated as coed,” which proponents have said would ensure female athletes are able to compete on a level playing field.
The governor could still veto the bill if it is sent to her desk, however.
MISSOURI
Missouri lawmakers have voted to advance a bill that would require athletes to compete in leagues that correspond to their biological sex.
The Save Women’s Sports Act would change the state’s current rules for public high school sports, which permit transgender girls to compete in girls sports if they are receiving hormone therapy.
Missouri lawmakers are also advancing a separate bill that would strip doctors of their medical licenses if they prescribe hormone therapy to minors hoping to transition.
Opponents of the policy point to guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics that recommends gender-affirming care for children who want to transition.
But supporters argue that giving drugs such as hormone blockers to children amounts to child abuse and say the decision to alter one’s body medically should not be made until adulthood.
UTAH
Lawmakers in Utah have proposed rules surrounding transgender participation in sports leagues that don’t go as far as other Republican bills in setting limits.
Instead of setting a blanket ban on transgender girls competing in girls sports, the bill would establish a panel that would consider whether to permit each athlete on a case-by-case basis.
In an effort to prevent the kinds of athletic disparities that have made headlines elsewhere, the proposed School Activity Eligibility Commission would compare each prospective transgender athlete to the average performance of athletes their age.
Although the bill doesn’t specify whether it is targeted at girls or boys sports, the debate over transgender athletics typically focuses on whether biological men have an inherent advantage over biological women.
However, Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said Saturday he would veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
INDIANA
The Indiana Legislature this week advanced a transgender sports ban that will now head to the desk of Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.
The Indiana bill not only prevents biological men from competing on female teams but also seeks to shield schools from facing lawsuits aimed at placing transgender athletes on those teams.
The bill would set civil penalties for teams that violate the ban by inviting transgender athletes to participate on teams other than the ones that correspond with their biological sex.
