The state had previously banned transgender athletes from participating in female youth sports from grades K-12. The new law prohibits students from playing under a different gender identity even after undergoing hormone treatment. Governor Ivey stated that the law is about fairness and that biological males will not be allowed to compete in women's and girls' sports in Alabama.
The movement for the college regulations began in April when legislation advanced in the middle of the month. The K-12 ban was put in place in 2021. Republican Representative Susan DuBose, the bill's sponsor, argued that forcing women to compete against biological men would reverse decades of progress women have made for equal athletic opportunity. The bill also prohibits physical girls from participating in boys' and men's sports.
WATCH: "WE WILL OPEN YOU UP LIKE A SOFT PEANUT"
May 31, 2023
The ban has drawn criticism from members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community. Alabama state director of the Human Rights Campaign, Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, stated that the legislation is part of a "systematic attack against LGBTQ+ people" in Alabama and elsewhere. Anderson-Harvey further added that Governor Ivey and extremist lawmakers in Alabama had passed four anti-LGBTQ+ bills in just two years, making Alabama an increasingly hostile place for transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
WATCH: HOW WAS JURY SELECTION HANDLED IN TRUMP'S TRIAL?
It is worth noting that twenty other states have restrictions on transgender girls and women participating in female sports. The debate on transgender athletes in sports has been ongoing, with some arguing that it is unfair for biological males to compete against biological females.
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
