New bill would restrict sports participation for transgender students
Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly filed bills Wednesday that would result in sweeping changes to high school sports eligibility, including for students who identify as transgender.
The Fairness in Women's Sports Act was filed in both the House and the Senate. A more wide-ranging bill, titled School Athletic Transparency, was also filed in the Senate. It, too, includes restrictions on transgender athletes.
School Athletic Transparency, Senate Bill 636, says sports teams must be designated as either "male, men, or boys", "females, women, or girls," or "coed or mixed."
"Interscholastic athletic activities designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex," the bill reads. "Sex shall be recognized based solely on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth."
As of Wednesday, nearly half of Senate Republicans have signed onto the bill as sponsors.
Republicans in the House introduced their own measure: The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. It, too, says that “a student's sex shall be recognized based solely on the student's reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” It says that no males can play on women’s teams and that no women can play on men’s teams unless “there is no comparable female team for a particular sport and the sport is not a contact sport.”
More than two dozen House Republicans have signed on as sponsors of the bill.
Current N.C. High School Athletic Association rules allow student-athletes who identify as transgender an opportunity to play sports based on their gender identification. However, athletes have to go through a lengthy process that includes submitting a gender identity request form with written statements from the student and others affirming the student's gender identification, information about medications and treatments the student receives, and other information.
"The NCHSAA allows participation in interscholastic athletics for all students, regardless of gender or gender identification. It intends that all students can compete on a level playing field in a safe, competitive, and friendly environment, free of discrimination," the policy states.
NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker told HighSchoolOT on Wednesday that there are "right around 15" transgender student-athletes participating in high school sports in North Carolina.
"I can honestly tell you that, to date, there has been little to no adverse impact from these students participating on our program," Tucker said.
Tucker said the NCHSAA was not made aware of the bill ahead of time, but said she wasn't surprised that the bill was introduced.
"We always knew that this was a possibility in our state, but I think we were hoping against hope that our legislators would be more inclusive in their thinking, and that the members of our legislative bodies would say, 'No, let's provide those equal opportunities,'" said Tucker.
At least 20 states, including most Southeastern states, have passed state laws banning transgender students from participating in sports based on their gender identity.
"We are outraged to see lawmakers target our most vulnerable youth," said Kendra R. Johnson, the executive director of Equality North Carolina. "Banning kids from playing sports because of who they are prevents them from having positive and formative experiences at school."
Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in the Senate and the House after Rep. Tricia Cotham, from Mecklenburg County, switched her affiliation from Democrat to Republican on Wednesday. Cotham is not listed a sponsor.
Caitlyn Jenner, a former Olympian who is transgender, launched a political action committee on Wednesday to "keep boys out of women's sports."
