South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem announced Monday that she was looking forward to signing a bill intended to protect girls’ sports within the state, mandating the separation of athletes by biology, as opposed to gender identity.
The South Dakota state Senate passed a bill Monday blocking biological males who identify as female from competing in high school and college girls’ and women’s sports teams.
The measure is heading to Noem’s desk for signature.
“GREAT NEWS! The South Dakota Senate just passed the Women’s Fairness in Sports bill, 20-15. It now heads to [Gov. Kristi Noem]‘s desk for signature,” American Principles posted Monday.
GREAT NEWS! The South Dakota Senate just passed the Women's Fairness in Sports bill, 20-15. It now heads to @govkristinoem's desk for signature.
— American Principles 🇺🇸 (@approject) March 8, 2021
“In South Dakota, we’re celebrating #InternationalWomensDay by defending women’s sports!” the Republican governor announced. “I’m excited to sign this bill very soon.”
In South Dakota, we're celebrating #InternationalWomensDay by defending women's sports! I'm excited to sign this bill very soon. https://t.co/OU15HOwp2r
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) March 8, 2021
Republican State Sen. Maggie Sutton, a primary sponsor of the legislation, emphasized the intention of protecting female sports.
“This is a very simple bill. It’s a bill to protect women’s sports,” Sutton said, NPR reported. “It’s not against transgenders.”
“My heart breaks for future generations. The decision you make today will affect future generations,” she said Monday, according to CBS News. “I’m asking you today to protect women’s sports.”
The Biden administration’s Department of Justice last month withdrew support for a lawsuit brought by three high school female athletes that would block biological males from competing in girls’ sports in Connecticut, The Daily Wire reported. The suit was backed by Trump-nominated former Attorney General Bill Barr.
One of three girls who had brought the lawsuit, Alanna Smith, blasted the Biden Administration over the withdrawal during a recent appearance on Fox News.
“I got involved after I ran against the biological males at the New England meet because in the 200 meter I took third place when I should have gotten runner-up,” she said. “And it’s not really about placement but it’s all about knowing that I work so many hours a week to be able to get runner-up in New England’s [championships] as a freshman. And I am really disappointed in the news, because me and the other girls, Selina and Chelsea, have worked really hard to get our stories out there, to get people to realize that fairness needs to be restored in our sport and all other women’s sports.”
Smith added that “people should realize that a lot of biological females have missed out on making it to meets that really matter, like states and regionals, and the transgender athletes have taken spots on the podium that belong to biological females.”
“We train for so many days a week, so many hours to be able to be the best in our state and the best in our region, and these biological males are just taking it away from us and we really deserve it,” the athlete said.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on January 20 stating, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”
According to the Austin American-Statesman, the order “does not impose any new guidelines that would immediately bring changes to school sports … Instead, it requires federal agencies, including the U.S. Education Department, to review existing policies and programs to determine whether they are in line with the new guidance prohibiting discrimination based on gender and sexuality, and to implement changes if needed.”
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