Indiana bill to ban transgender female college athletes goes to governor’s desk

By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

The Indiana Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would ban transgender females from competing on women’s sports teams at any public or private university in the state.

The bill passed without amendments from the version passed Feb. 18 in the Indiana House, so the measure will soon head to Governor Mike Braun for his consideration.

About a month ago, the Republican governor issued two executive orders to keep state funds from being “used to promote gender identity” and to ban transgender women from competing on women’s sports teams at any public or private university in the state. Braun’s order followed an executive order that President Donald Trump made in early February.

GenderNexus CEO Emma Vosicky said in February that states with anti-trans legislation already have seen a fourfold increase in school violence against transgender students. If lawmakers were truly serious about leveling the playing field for female athletes, she said, they would have filed legislation dealing with other inequities in women’s sports.

Proponents say the measure would keep woman who are college athletes from competing with transgender players.

The NCAA on Feb. 6 announced it had changed its policies to ban transgender women from NCAA-sanctioned college women’s teams. NCAA President Charlie Baker in December told Congress he was aware of “less than 10” transgender female athletes across all levels of sports sanctioned by the association.

Indiana lawmakers three years ago banned transgender girls from competing on girls’ scholastic sports teams at the K-12 level. The Indiana High School Athletic Association, which sanctions all high school athletics in Indiana, has said it is only aware of one instance of a transgender female athlete applying for a waiver under its pre-2022 transgender athlete policy. That athlete withdrew their application before IHSAA officials could make a decision.

An outline of House Bill 1014 explains that it would prohibit “a male, based on the student’s biological sex at birth in accordance with the student’s genetics and reproductive biology, from participating on an athletic team or sport designated as being a female, women’s, or girls’ athletic team or sport.”

HB 1014 would also set up a way for a student or a parent to file a legal complaint about any suspected violations.

The bill passed the House 71-25, with one representative not voting and three others excused from voting, and the Senate 42-6, with two senators excused from voting.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/politics/indiana-transgender-women-athletes-ban-senate-passes.