Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has vetoed a bill that sought to ban trans-identifying male high school students from participating in girls’ sports teams.
In his statement, Evers cited concerns about potential conflicts with existing federal law, including the Civil Rights Act and Title IX. Evers, who previously promised he would ban such a bill if it were passed, also characterized the bill as discriminatory.
“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to codifying discrimination into state statute,” Evers said in his statement.
Evers went on to claim that such a bill would harm LGBTQ individuals in Wisconsin and the mental health of kids who identify as transgender. He also claimed it “emboldens anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites.”
The bill in question aimed to mandate that student athletes compete on teams corresponding to their biological sex as indicated on their birth certificates. Currently, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association requires trans-identifying athletes to undergo hormone therapy before participating on their desired teams, according to ABC News.
The decision to veto the ban comes amidst a broader national debate surrounding the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports. At least two dozen states have enacted laws prohibiting trans-identifying athletes from competing in categories aligned with their gender identity, with the legislation becoming increasingly popular.
According a Gallup poll done last summer, nearly 70% of adults said that trans-identifying athletes should be required to compete only on sports teams that coincide with their biological sex.
However, despite public opinion Wisconsin’s Governor said he would continue to veto “radical policies” that he claims targets LGBTQ individuals.
“States across this country may give way to radical policies targeting LGBTQ individuals and families and threatening LGBTQ folks’ everyday lives and their ability to be safe, valued, supported, and welcomed being who they are. As long as I am the governor of this great state, Wisconsin will not be among them,” Evers concluded in his statement.
