On Thursday, Kansas’ Republican-led legislature passed a bill that bans transgender athletes from participating in girls or women’s school sports if they were born male. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, is expected to veto the bill as she has vetoed similar measures in the past two years. However, this year, the bill appears to have enough support to override any veto. The governor’s office has not yet commented on the matter.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to ensure a level playing field in women’s sports, while opponents and LGBTQ advocates say such laws are unnecessary given the small number of transgender athletes in school sports. This latest move adds to the 18 states that have passed or enacted legislation preventing transgender students from playing on school sports teams matching their gender identity.
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These laws have pushed transgender rights to the forefront of the U.S. culture wars and political standoffs between Republicans and Democrats. Some Republican-led states have also passed laws that ban gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. In some cases, parents and doctors can be charged with crimes if that treatment is provided. Other bills before state legislatures include bans on teachers from using pronouns that match a student’s gender identity and requirements that transgender people use bathrooms corresponding with their gender at birth.
Kansas’ new legislation will bar transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams in public elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges, as well as from private school teams that compete against public schools. While supporters of the bill see it as a necessary measure to protect the integrity of women’s sports, opponents argue that it is discriminatory and harmful to transgender individuals. The debate surrounding transgender rights and inclusion in sports is expected to continue to be a contentious issue in state legislatures across the United States.
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