On Thursday, the Republican-led Kansas legislature passed a bill that would prevent transgender males from participating in school sports for girls or women.
It is widely anticipated that Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly will veto the bill, as she has done with two similar measures in the past two years.
However, this year’s bill appears to have enough support to override a veto. Requests for comment from the governor’s office were not immediately returned.
Proponents of this legislation and similar measures argue that they are essential for creating fair competition for female athletes.
Since there are so few transgender students participating in interscholastic sports, opponents and LGBTQ advocates argue that the laws are unnecessary.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle in the United States have made transgender rights a central issue in the ongoing culture wars.
US State Laws on Transgender Identity
Eighteen states have laws on the books that make it impossible for transgender students to participate on teams that match their gender identity.
On Thursday, the Kansas Senate approved the measure by a vote of 28 to 11. On Feb. 23, with a vote of 82 to 40, the House approved the bill.
Two-thirds of each house of legislature would need to vote down a governor’s veto for it to be overridden.
The current draft of the bill forbids gender transformation females to participate on female sports teams at any level of education, including elementary, middle, high school, and college for public schools and private schools that compete against public schools.
Several states under Republican control have also passed legislation restricting access to healthcare on the basis of gender identity or expression for transgender minors.
The provision of such treatment may result in criminal charges for both parents and medical professionals.
There are also bills in some state legislatures that would require transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond with their birth gender and/or prohibit teachers from using pronouns that match a student’s gender identity.
To read our blog on “Self-perceived gender identity is not transgender, according to the Shariat Court,” click here.