Pennsylvania is the latest US state to introduce a bill with the aim of prohibiting trans athletes from participating in school sports, with governor Tom Wolf already condemning the “discriminatory” proposal. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, House Bill 927’s main sponsor, Republican representative Barb Gleim, argued the regulations would ‘maintain fairness’ in women’s sports.
Gov. Wolf has already said he will not sign the bill if it is passed by the state House and Senate, tweeting: “I’ll veto this discriminatory bill if it gets to my desk.” Naiymah Sanchez, the American Civil Liberties Union’s transgender justice coordinator in Pennsylvania, also condemned the bill, telling the Philadelphia Inquirer: “Introducing a bill that would bar trans athletes from participating in sports is simply cruel and speaks volumes about the priorities of these lawmakers who are creating a problem that simply doesn’t exist.”
Pennsylvania is one of an estimated 30 states which is currently considering legislation that targets young trans people. Missouri is the latest state to have progressed a bill which aims to bar trans inclusion in school sports. President Joe Biden has pledged to support young trans athletes, signing an executive order earlier this year which prohibits discrimination against trans and gender diverse students.