South Dakota is on the verge of passing a law banning transgender women from competing in female sports.
South Dakota governor Kristi Noem tweeted Monday that she is excited to sign the Women’s Fairness in Sports bill.
“In South Dakota, we’re celebrating #InternationalWomen’sDay by defending women’s sports!” Noem tweeted. “I’m excited to sign this bill very soon.”
According to The Associated Press, the South Dakota High School Activities Association, which opposed the bill, said there is only one example of a transgender girl – who has since graduated – playing female sports.
Related content: Lawmakers Limiting Trans Athletes Cite Few Examples
According to NPR, the bill would require every South Dakota school and athletic association to collect written waivers documenting every student athlete's "reproductive biology."
“It’s about erasing and excluding trans people from participation in all aspects of public life,” said Jeff Jonelis, advocacy manager for the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota.
Earlier this month, a South Dakota Senate committee rejected the bill, saying it would create issues like the NCAA not hosting events in the state, legal challenges for discrimination and the administrative burden of collecting proof of every high school athlete’s sex at birth. The South Dakota Senate revived the bill and passed it Monday.
Idaho was the first, and only, state to sign a bill restricting transgender athletes into law. However, a federal judge put the law on hold while the American Civil Liberties Union’s legal challenge proceeds. The South Dakota bill will likely go through a similar process after Noem signs it.
Related content: Feds Pull Support from Lawsuit Limiting Trans Athletes
