Alabama expands ban on transgender athletes to include college; Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation Tuesday to ban transgender women from playing on female sports teams in college, expanding the state’s existing restrictions on transgender athletes.
The legislation expands Alabama’s 2021 ban on transgender athletes on K-12 sports teams to include college teams. The state currently prohibits students from playing under a gender identity different from the sex assigned at birth.
“Look, if you are a biological male, you are not going to be competing in women’s and girls’ sports in Alabama. It’s about fairness, plain and simple,” Ivey said in a statement.
Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter
The legislation is the latest in the effort by conservative states to enact restrictions on transgender people. At least 20 states have now placed restrictions on transgender athletes.
While supporters of these bans say transgender athletes have unfair advantages in competitions, opponents argue that these bills aim to shame transgender people and are rooted in discrimination.
Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, Alabama state director of the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ people, described the legislation as part of a “systematic attack against LGBTQ+ people” in Alabama and elsewhere.
“In just two years, she and extremist lawmakers in Alabama have passed four anti-LGBTQ+ bills. From dictating what bathrooms we can use to blatantly ignoring the actual problems in women’s sports, these politicians are making Alabama an increasingly hostile place for transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole,” Anderson-Harvey added.
More: Biden proposed rules on transgender athletes in school. Then the comment section lost its mind.
Alabama lawmakers have also approved bills to restrict bathroom and locker room usage as well as ban the use of gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers to treat transgender minors. However, a judge has temporarily blocked the ban on the medication while a court challenge goes forward.
The bill passed both chambers of the Alabama legislature with overwhelming support, passing 26-4 in the state’s Senate and 83-5 in the House of Representatives.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama expands ban on transgender athletes to include college teams
