Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a bill that prohibits transgender women from joining female sports teams in college, adding to the list of states imposing restrictions on transgender athletes. The new legislation expands on the state’s existing ban on transgender participation in K-12 sports teams to also include college teams. Under this new law, students originally assigned with one gender at birth are prohibited from playing under a different gender identity despite undergoing hormone treatment.
“Look, if you are a biological male, you are not going to be competing in women’s and girls’ sports in Alabama. It’s about fairness, plain and simple,” said Ivey in a statement.
The passing of this bill is part of a slew of restrictions being placed on transgender athletes in conservative states. According to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank, 21 states have now banned transgender athletes from sports teams corresponding with their gender. While proponents argue that transgender women have an unfair advantage, critics argue that the bills are created to shame transgender people and are rooted in discrimination and politics.
Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey, Alabama state director of the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ people, stated that the legislation is part of a “systematic attack against LGBTQ+ people” not just in Alabama, but across the country.
“In just two years, she and extremist lawmakers in Alabama have passed four anti-LGBTQ+ bills. From dictating what bathrooms we can use to blatantly ignoring the actual problems in women’s sports, these politicians are making Alabama an increasingly hostile place for transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole,” Anderson-Harvey said.
The Alabama lawmakers have passed other bills restricting bathroom and locker room use and a ban on the use of gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers for treating transgender minors. While a court challenge is pending, a judge has temporarily halted the medication ban from taking effect.
The recent sports bill was largely approved in both chambers, receiving a 26-4 vote from the Alabama Senate and an 83-5 vote in the House of Representatives. Over a dozen House members have abstained from voting.
Last year, Iowa and South Dakota implemented similar bans. Earlier this month, the Missouri legislature passed a similar bill that bans transgender athletes from playing on girls’ and women’s teams, which the Governor is expected to sign.
Recently, the US Supreme Court ruled against West Virginia’s ban on transgender participation in cross country middle school teams in favor of a 12-year-old transgender girl who sought to compete on her school’s team.