South Carolina Passes Bill Banning Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports
The NCAA has yet to comment on the issue, which was brought to light when Lia Thomas a transgender swimmer who was born male won an NCAA swimming title. Some states have begun to take their own actions to prevent other athletes from doing the same. And South Carolina is one of those states. The SC State Senate passed the legislation on Wednesday which would ban transgender athletes in elementary school through college sports. The bill passed 30-10. The House previously approved it in April.
The argument in the bill states that public schools have designated “sex-specific” teams in order to keep it fair for female athletes. It’s nicknamed “Save Women’s Sports”. Those who object say it’s just a transphobic reaction. They also say that the fight should be focused on equal pay for women’s sports.
So what’s next? Now that the South Carolina transgender athletes bill has passed the house and senate it needs to be ratified and sent to the Governor for signature. Governor McMaster has not indicated whether or not he plans to sign the legislation.