Kentucky, Oklahoma Join Arizona As Latest States Aiming to Protect Women’s Sports
There is no doubt that protecting women and girls’ sports from the participation of athletes who are going or have gone through male puberty has become one of the nation’s most hotly politicized issues, and two more states are now considering bans on the controversial practice.
Last week, Arizona’s state legislature passed a bill that would prevent male athletes from competing against women and girls.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Sitt signed the “Save Women’s Sports Act” into law at the state capitol building.
“I’m proud to sign this bill into law,” Stitt said, surrounded by female athletes, including his own daughters.
“How is it fair for female track athletes or swimmers who have been training since they were 12 to lose a high school competition to a biological male? It’s not. It’s simply not fair, and it will not happen in the state of Oklahoma,” he said, as KOCO reported.
Last week, Arizona’s state legislature passed a bill that would prevent male athletes from competing against women and girls.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Sitt signed the “Save Women’s Sports Act” into law at the state capitol building.
“I’m proud to sign this bill into law,” Stitt said, surrounded by female athletes, including his own daughters.
“How is it fair for female track athletes or swimmers who have been training since they were 12 to lose a high school competition to a biological male? It’s not. It’s simply not fair, and it will not happen in the state of Oklahoma,” he said, as KOCO reported.
On Thursday, the Kentucky legislature passed their own “Save Women’s Sports Act,” securing enough support to overturn a potential veto from Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.
The legislation earned outrage from pro-LGBT advocates, who frame opposition to allowing male students a chance to compete against female students as bigotry and discrimination.
The legislation earned outrage from pro-LGBT advocates, who frame opposition to allowing male students a chance to compete against female students as bigotry and discrimination.
Although last year was a record year for proposed and successful state bills protecting female-only athletics, in recent months the success of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who competed at the University of Pennsylvania for three years on the men’s team before transitioning and joining the women’s team, has highlighted and galvanized the issue nationally.
