Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan., says it will not comply with a new NAIA policy that dictates that only athletes whose biological sex is female who haven’t started hormone therapy will be allowed to participate in women’s sports.
Under the policy, student-athletes at NAIA schools would have to report their biological sex, which is something Bethany College says it will not require students to do.
Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan., says it will not comply with a new NAIA policy that dictates that only athletes whose biological sex is female who haven’t started hormone therapy will be allowed to participate in women’s sports.
Under the policy, student-athletes at NAIA schools would have to report their biological sex, which is something Bethany College says it will not require students to do.
Related: New NAIA Policy Limits Women's Sports Participation to Biological Females
“The policy hinges on self-reporting by individual students and institutions," Bethany College said in an email to students, which was reported by KWCH. "At Bethany, we will not be requiring our student-athletes to prove their biological sex.”
Bethany added that it believes the dignity and privacy of transgender athletes should be respected.
“I really like the action that Bethany has taken, how they’re not going to incorporate this policy that’s being set out,” said Bethany student Oria O'Farrell. “I’m really big on inclusivity, so I am all for this.”
The NAIA policy pertaining to transgender athletes and women’s sports begins on Aug. 1.
