ARKANSAS GOVERNOR SIGNS TRANS SPORTS BAN
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday signed a law banning transgender women and girls from competing in school sports teams consistent with their gender identity, making the state the second to approve such a restriction so far this year.
The Republican governor approved the measure despite objections from medical and child-welfare groups that it would have devastating impacts on transgender youth. Hundreds of college athletes have also urged the NCAA to refuse to hold championships in states that enact such bans.
“This law simply says that female athletes should not have to compete in a sport against a student of the male sex when the sport is designed for women’s competition,“Hutchinson said in a statement released by his office. “As I have stated previously, I agree with the intention of this law. This will help promote and maintain fairness in women’s sporting events.”
Republicans in at least 20 state legislatures have been pushing for similar bans this year, including West Virginia, which on Thursday saw its House of Delegates pass a bill that would ban transgender athletes in middle school and high from competing on teams that align with their gender identity.
The bill passed on a 78-20 vote with two delegates absent. It now goes to the state Senate.
Elsewhere, Mississippi’s governor signed a prohibition into law earlier this month and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem had initially said she would sign similar legislation sent to her but has since pushed for changing it to exclude college sports.
Arkansas’ law covers K-12 as well as collegiate sports.
Only one state, Idaho, has enacted a law curtailing transgender students’ sports participation, and that 2020 measure is blocked by a court ruling as a lawsuit plays out. Opponents have not said whether they plan legal action to block Arkansas’ ban.
Arkansas’ law, if it isn’t blocked by a legal challenge, would take effect this summer. Under the new law, a school or student who suffers “direct or indirect harm” could take a school to court for violating the ban.