Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed into legislation a invoice banning transgender ladies from taking part in feminine sports activities at public colleges, becoming a member of a wave of comparable measures rising from Republican-controlled statehouses throughout the nation.
Supporters of the invoice, attributable to take impact Jan. 18, say it’s geared toward defending equity in class sports activities by eliminating what they see as an inherent bodily aggressive benefit of transgender athletes enjoying on feminine groups.
Seven different states have handed comparable legal guidelines this yr, a part of a Republican-led nationwide marketing campaign since Idaho in March 2020 barred athletes who had been assigned a male gender at beginning from competing on sports activities groups towards these assigned as feminine in public colleges or schools.
Enforcement of the Idaho ban has been blocked by a federal courtroom pending the end result of a authorized problem towards the measure.
Different states whose legislatures have adopted Idaho’s lead embrace Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee and West Virginia, whereas South Dakota’s governor acted by govt order. A few of these are likewise beneath courtroom problem.
Nonetheless, no less than 35 payments to exclude transgender youth from athletics have been launched in 31 states this yr, up from 29 in 2020 and two in 2019, in line with a tally earlier this yr by the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures.
The transgender sports activities measure marks the newest in a slate of conservative payments superior by Texas’ legislature and Republican governor this yr, together with legal guidelines codifying on voting processes and proscribing abortion, whereas disposing of the necessity for a allow to hold a hid weapon.