Indiana state legislators They are looking to go the extra mile in their efforts to keep biological male athletes in boys’ and men’s sports.
Current state law, introduced in 2022, prohibits those born male at birth from playing against girls from kindergarten through high school. This week, Republican lawmakers Michelle Davis, Chris Jeter, Joanna King, and Robert Heaton introduced a bill that would alleviate this problem. Expanding the ban to include college teams.
“To ensure equal opportunities, it is important that girls compete against girls, and boys against boys,” Davis wrote in a statement to the UN General Assembly. Indystar. “As a mother and legislator, I authored this bill because I heard directly from Hoosier parents who want to ensure female athletes have a fair chance to compete and be recognized.”
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The State Capitol building in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, on a sunny spring morning. (Educational Images/Global Image Collection via Getty Images)
Indianapolis, the state capital, is also where the NCAA is headquartered.
The law would also require out-of-state teams that field a transgender athlete to notify the opposing Indiana school of said athlete at least 60 days in advance. Athletes will also be able to file lawsuits against their school if they feel they had the opportunity or were injured as a result of a potential violation of the law.
Jeter, one of the co-authors, said the bill aims to “protect women’s sports in the state of Indiana.”
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the original bill nearly three years ago, but the Indiana General Assembly overturned that decision. Holcomb, a Republican, is scheduled to leave office later this month due to term limits, and will be succeeded by fellow Republican Mike Braun.
Two months after Holcomb vetoed the bill, a federal judge in the state ruled that the transgender student should be allowed to use the boys’ restroom at school. Middle school in the country.
Transgender athlete supporter Kyle Harp, left, of Riverside holds a Progress Pride flag as Lori Lopez and her father Pete Pickering, both of Riverside, listen to the discussion as they join the crowded overflow crowd outside the Riverside Unified School District meeting Thursday night to discuss the rights of transgender athletes In competition in high school athletics, Thursday, December 19, 2024. (Allen J. Chapin/Los Angeles Times)
Last month, NCAA President Charlie Baker sent a message to college athletes who don’t feel comfortable sharing locker rooms. With transgender athletesAnd placing the responsibility for their safety squarely on the shoulders of the women themselves.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on legalized sports gambling, Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, questioned Baker about NCAA Policies Which allowed trans athletes to compete on women’s teams. Hawley confronted Baker about the NCAA policy stating that “transgender student athletes should be able to use the locker room, bathroom, and restrooms in accordance with their gender identity.”
Baker, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, responded by insisting that other athletes have the option of finding other accommodations if they are uncomfortable doing so.
NCAA President Charlie Baker speaks during a press conference celebrating the 25th anniversary of the NCAA moving its national office to Indianapolis on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. (Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar/USA Today Network)
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The NCAA saw a controversy sweep the country as transfer volleyball player Blair Fleming helped San Jose State University to the Mountain West championship game.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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