On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law barring transgender athletes from playing on varsity sports teams that match their gender identity. The new law will come into effect in September.
SB 15 — also dubbed the “Save Women in Sports Act” by its proponents — Building on legislation passed by the state in 2021 Prohibit transgender women and girls in K-12 schools from participating in sports teams that match their gender identity.It forces athletes to compete based on their “biological sex” or the gender “correctly stated” on their birth certificate, it is alleged legislative text.
The bill includes provisions that prevent transgender athletes who change their gender on their birth certificate from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity by defining gender as “entered at or near the student’s birth time” and are only recognized as corrections Changes to birth certificates due to clerical errors.
“Today is a big day for female athletes in Texas, including little girls who aspire to one day compete in college sports,” Abbott said in a statement. Press release. “The Save Women in Sports Act protects young women in Texas colleges and universities by prohibiting men from competing with them in varsity sports, either on a team or individually.”
Abbott has consistently referred to trans women and girls as “men” and “bio-boys” in messages about the bill — the latter according to LGBTQ+ media advocacy group GLAAD Call up “A term to avoid.”
GLAAD wrote: “‘Bioboy’ is a term often used by anti-trans activists to ignore and denigrate trans girls and deny them access to society as a true gender identity.”
Advocacy groups were quick to condemn the new law, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas saying on Twitter that it was “unfair, unconstitutional and brutal.”
“Transgender students should play the sport they love,” added the ACLU of Texas.
“Even as elected officials disregard their duty to serve Texans by targeting vulnerable populations, creating problems that don’t exist, and using our taxpayer dollars to do so – the lives of trans people can never be erased,” said the program vice president. President Marti Bier said.exist Texas Freedom Network“No matter what laws the extremists currently in power pass, our community will find love and support in each other.”
Earlier this month, Abbott signed into law Gender-affirming care banned for Texas trans youth. The law will also go into effect on September 1.
according to best universityat least 16 other states have similar restrictions on transgender athletes participating in college sports, and at least 22 states prohibit K-12 transgender athletes from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity, according to Sports Advancement Programto track legislation affecting the LGBTQ+ community.
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