North Dakota state BANS transgender women from participating in female sports
North Dakota joins in line with 19 other states in the United States to ban transgender athletes in sports.
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Doug Burgum, Governor of North Dakota (Credits: Getty)
On Tuesday, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgam signed two bills that mandate transgender women be barred from participating in female sports. These bans, which are now translated into law, will prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in female sports at K-12 and college levels.
These bills were passed in the House and Senate of the state with veto-proof majorities. This means that even if the governor had vetoed these bills, they would still have been passed as a law for the state. In a statement, Governor Burgam has stated that over the past two years, with more than 27,000 students participating in North Dakota high school sports, there has not been a single report of a transgender girl playing or seeking permission to participate in female sports teams in the state.
The Legislature of the state is very much determined in codifying the laws further for girls’ sports in the state. In his statement regarding these legislatures, Burgum adds, “Concerns raised last session about such policies jeopardizing the ability to host regional and national collegiate tournaments have not materialized in the roughly 20 states that have passed similar legislation.”
US States imposing stricter regulations for transgender athletes in sports
Over 19 states in the U.S. have started deliberating upon restrictions on transgender athletes, especially trans women in sports. One can also note the significant legislation drafted by Republican lawmakers in the country to push back on LGBTQ+ rights, especially targeting transgender persons.
A significant part of their lives, including health care facilities, bathrooms, workplaces, and sports have been impacted due to the laws passed by the legislators. This year alone, Republican lawmakers in over 30 states in the United States have introduced anti-transgender laws.
However, the issue of transgender women in sports is rather contentious, given several female athletes have raised concerns regarding the same. Riley Gaines, a popular NCAA swimmer, highlights the injustices and discrimination that AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) swimmers face in terms of competition with transgender women in the sport. Gaines’ concern was with Pennsylvania University’s Lia Thomas, who is one of the most widely discussed athletes recently.
A number of figures, including soccer star Megan Rapinoe and basketball player Sue Bird have also spoken against such bills and laws. Democratic Sen. Ryan Braunburgher has also vehemently opposed this bill on the Senate floor in North Dakota. He says, “I have talked to several of my family members that don’t want to leave North Dakota because it is their state, and it is their home. But they’re feeling like they have to now. They don’t feel like it’s safe for them.”
The dilemma of women being denied equal competition and transgender women being denied opportunities lies galore in this case. This is what makes it a much more contentious issue, thus also allowing several homophobic and transphobic persons to widely spread negativity and hate.
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Siddid Dey Purkayastha
(528 Articles Published)