The Mississippi Senate on Thursday voted in support of female athletes by ruling that regardless of what gender they wish they were, men cannot compete in women’s sports.
The 34-9 vote sends the bill to the state House of Representatives, according to CNN.
Senate Bill 2536, designated the Mississippi Fairness Act, covers not only high schools, but colleges that are either publicly controlled or members of the NCAA and other national college organizations.
“Athletic teams or sports designated for ‘females,’ ‘women’ or ‘girls’ shall not be open to students of the male sex,” the bill states.
The bill says that a student may establish his or her sex by presenting “a signed physician’s statement which shall indicate the student’s sex based solely upon: The student’s internal and external reproductive anatomy; The student’s normal endogenously produced levels of testosterone; and An analysis of the student’s genetic makeup.”
The bill comes in response to growing concerns that allowing males who identify as female to compete against females provides men with an advantage because they are by nature physically naturally stronger, faster and bigger.
President Joe Biden last month issued an executive order on gender identity that said, in part, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”
“I’ve had numerous coaches across the state call me and believe that they feel there’s a need for a policy in Mississippi because they are beginning to have some concerns of having to deal with this,” said the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Angela Hill, according to The Hill.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, the father of three daughters, had earlier tweeted about Biden’s order.
My girls practice tirelessly. They work hard. They’ve learned how to win and, yes, they’ve learned what it feels like to be on the wrong end of the final score. It’s true bonding—my happiest and proudest Dad moments.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 4, 2021
I don’t understand why politicians are pushing children into transgenderism in the first place. I certainly don’t understand why the President chose to make it a priority. And my heart breaks for the young women across America who will lose in this radical social experiment.
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 4, 2021
Mississippi is not alone in trying to keep women’s sports for women.
The North Dakota House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation that declared that sports eligibility is determined by the biological gender of a child at birth, according to the Grand Forks Herald.
“This is about girls competing with girls, ensuring equal opportunity and keeping a level playing field in girls’ sports,” said Republican state Rep. Kathy Skroch, a co-sponsor of the bill, the newspaper reported. “It upholds 50 years of progress and protecting women against discrimination and advocates for the preservation of biological standards.”
A committee of the Utah House passed a similar measure Thursday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
“Across America, there are stories of individuals who identified as male at birth competing against our female athletes,” said state Republican state Rep. Kera Birkeland, who is also a junior varsity basketball coach for the girls’ team at Morgan High School, according to the Tribune.
[firefly_poll]“These individuals who identify as male at birth are breaking records that no female will be able to reach. They’re taking championships, titles and scholarships from our female athletes. To say it’s taking a toll on our female athletes would be an understatement,” she said,
Tennessee Republicans are also moving on a bill that would make female sports limited to females.
“I do believe that transgenders participating in women’s sports will destroy women’s sports,” said Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, according to The Associated Press.
“It will ruin the opportunity for girls to earn scholarships. It will put a glass ceiling back over women that hasn’t been there in some time. I think it’s bad for women and for women’s sports,” he said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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