Bill on transgender youth participation in sports headed to Tennessee governor’s desk

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ought to transgender athletes play faculty sports activities alongside biologically born ladies?

Tennessee already answered that query for Okay-12 athletes and now, lawmakers need to do the identical for faculty athletes.

Payments involving transgender youth and faculty competitors are making their approach by means of the Tennessee Home and one other ready to be signed by Gov. Invoice Lee.

You’ve most likely seen the headlines about swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender lady sweeping the NCAA competitors.

Her story and others are elevating the query do transgender ladies have an unfair benefit when competing alongside athletes born feminine at beginning?

“There’s feminine athletes, particularly on the faculty degree which have skilled all their lives to compete and we simply have to make it possible for’s a degree enjoying area,” mentioned Sen. Joey Hensley, who represents District 28.

Hensley sponsored Senate Invoice 2153 which simply handed the Tennessee Senate and prevents transgender athletes in Tennessee from competing in faculty sports activities. 

However Sen. Raumesh Akbari argues, “I don’t just like the narrative of we’ve got to guard our ladies athletes, I believe our ladies athletes do an awesome job of competing and defending themselves.”

Final 12 months, Gov. Lee signed a regulation stopping transgender athletes from competing in Okay-12 faculties within the state.

Sen. Hensley now needs so as to add enamel to that laws, with Senate Invoice 1861, as effectively by fining public faculties which don’t comply with the regulation. 

“Actually individuals may be transgender, and that is America, individuals can do what they need to do, however athletes, feminine athletes ought to simply be capable of know that they are competing towards organic equals,” mentioned Hensley.

LGBTQ teams, just like the Tennessee Equality Venture, are calling on governor lee to make use of his veto energy saying, “these payments are a part of a nationwide, coordinated assault on trans youth that’s deeply stigmatizing and harmful.”

“It’s discriminatory,” mentioned Akbari. “It’s one thing we shouldn’t be placing our laws on.”

“I believe it’s discriminatory towards a lady having to compete towards a organic male,” Hensley mentioned. “Simply let one of the best one win.” 

The invoice stopping transgender athletes from competing in faculty sports activities within the state nonetheless has to go the Tennessee Home and is about to be heard in committee this Tuesday.