THE New Hampshire The Senate has passed a bill that would impose limits on transgender athletes.
The bill would ban transgender athletes in grades 5 through 12 from teams that align with their gender identity.
Supporters of the legislation said they wanted to protect girls from injuries caused by bigger, stronger transgender athletes.
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A bill passed in New Hampshire would ban trans athletes in grades 5-12 from participating with their gender identity. (Fox News)
“When we talk about fairness and rights, we can’t cover every circumstance. And so in a very narrow way that I think is very clear to most of us, biological boys have an advantage on biological daughters,” Senate President Jeb Bradley said. , a Republican from Wolfeboro. “We can never legislate total fairness. But what we can’t do is create rights for some at the expense of others.”
Meanwhile, Democrats who opposed the bill said it was based on fear-mongering. Sen. Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, said there are only five transgender girls in New Hampshire who are athletes.
“These five girls are not a threat. They are the ones being threatened,” she said. “Even though this gesture of protection may seem valiant, we say: ‘No thank you.’ If you really want to protect girls, protect marginalized transgender girls. »
The bill’s passage comes weeks after Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders signed an executive order in response to President Biden’s new Title IX regulations that added protections for transgender athletes. Sanders said she was “appalled” by the “attack on common sense.”
FILE – Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks February 7, 2023 in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Al Drago/Pool Photo via AP, File)
At least 20 states have approved some version of a blanket ban on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and collegiate sports teams statewide, but a Biden administration rule prohibiting such outright bans is expected to take effect this year after multiple delays and much resistance.
In New Hampshire, the Senate already passed a bill that would have banned transgender girls from participating in high school and college sports teams, but the House rejected it earlier this month.
Senate President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfboro, will preside over the Senate on May 15. (Margie Cullen/USA TODAY NETWORK)
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Six states sued the Department of Education due to the overhaul of Title IX. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Tuesday they are leading the charge.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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