COLOMBIA – A state legislator seeking to prevent transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports teams in elementary and high school is seeking early approval of her proposal, although it has been accompanied by strong opposition from advocates who say that such a ban is a violation civil rights.
State Representative Ashley Trantham, R-Pelzer, told a House Judiciary subcommittee on February 23 her “Save Women’s Sports Act”, which requires athletic teams to allow contestants based only on their biological sex and authorizes actions legal for people who are prevented from a team based on gender identity, is not intended to be discriminatory.
A House Judiciary subcommittee was suspended after nearly 90 minutes of debate.
“South Carolina has a proud history of cultivating talented and successful female athletes. For years, we have witnessed our daughters pursue their dreams, ”said Trantham. “Unfortunately, the next generation of female athletes in South Carolina may not have a chance to excel in these same sports. We must act to restore a level playing field for women athletes. “
Trantham cited a 2016 memo issued by the SC High School League that allows transgender students to participate in league activities that correspond to their gender identity. Transgender athletes were not mentioned in the league’s 100-page manual, and a SCHSL representative was not immediately available to confirm that such a policy was in place.
Opponents say the law brings a number of problems beyond basic justice, including “taking” young transgender people to coaches, colleagues and teachers, requiring the disclosure of gender identity without consent.
“The process by which schools identify and separate transgender youth who are entitled to their privacy is unclear,” said Chase Glenn, executive director of the Alliance for Full Acceptance, based in Charleston.
South Carolina is joining 20 other states that have introduced legislation to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in sports based on their gender identity, according to the Center for American Progress. It is estimated that 167,000 southern Carolinians aged 13 or older are LGBTQ, or about 4% of the general population, reports the ACLU.
Although Trantham introduced the bill in December, his legislative journey begins two months after President Joseph Biden issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination in the federal workforce based on a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
The order does not define any new guidelines on school sports, but directs government agencies to review existing policies and bring them into line with the mandate.
Trantham said the issue is a matter of justice and that his legislation was not designed to trample on the rights of trans people.
“‘We need to think about how we can be inclusive with our trans youth,” she told lawmakers.
Among those who spoke out against the bill are more than 40 doctors and medical students from all over South Carolina, who signed a letter asking lawmakers to reject the measure.
“Transgender students, like other students, deserve the same opportunities to learn to work in teams, sportsmanship, leadership and self-discipline, and to build a sense of belonging with their colleagues. When we tell transgender girls that they can’t play sports for girls – or transgender boys that can’t play sports for men – they miss the opportunity, and being excluded can lead to detrimental results in terms of social and emotional well-being, ”they wrote.
Several current female athletes and former athletes said that competing against biological men puts them at an inherent disadvantage in sports, including track and field and volleyball.
“Female athletes deserve the same opportunity as boys to stand out. Allowing male athletes to destroy those dreams and end so many opportunities that we have worked for years to achieve, ”said Selina Soule, a runner from Connecticut High School who said several runs for transgender opponents. Soule is ready to study at the College of Charleston.
Eli Bundy, a 16-year-old transgender student from Charleston, said the Trantham bill would be harmful, pointing to a 40% suicide attempt rate among transgender people.
“I am disappointed and not surprised that young people like me are being informed by our state legislature that we are not the same as cisgender students, that we do not deserve equal treatment under the law and that we are a threat to the lives and livelihoods of other students”, said Bundy. “You are trying to solve a problem that does not exist, and in doing so, you are creating a problem instead of fixing it.”
It would probably be rejected in court too, said Cathryn Oakley, a lawyer for the Human Rights Campaign. She said 60 laws across the country have been introduced in the past two years to limit the participation of transgender athletes in sports, and all have been suppressed because of legal challenges or court orders.
“Institutions that are primarily concerned with the integrity of the sport have policies that also allow the inclusion of trans people and have been able to do this so that everyone has equal playing conditions,” she said. “It’s not about boys pretending to be girls.”
The measure is in a dual legislative path, with an identical bill sponsored by state senator Richard Cash, R-Piemonte, awaiting action by the Education Committee.
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.