The Governor of Idaho has signed into law a Bill preventing men who identify as female from competing in women’s sports events.
The Fairness for Women in Sports Act celebrates the biological differences between men and women, which result in “categorically different strength, speed, and endurance”, and requires the sexes to compete separately.
Idaho’s Governor, Brad Little, also signed a separate Bill preventing those who identify as the opposite sex from obtaining a new birth certificate with their preferred ‘gender identity’ on it.
Destructive
Kristen Waggoner, a Senior Vice President at religious liberty group Alliance Defending Freedom, said: “Girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. Allowing males to compete in girls’ sports destroys fair competition and women’s athletic opportunities.”
She added: “When we ignore biological reality, female athletes lose medals, podium spots, public recognition, and opportunities to compete.”
The law applies to all sports teams sponsored by public schools and public centres of higher education.
Girls deserve to compete on a level playing field
Teenage athlete Chelsea Mitchell, who is challenging Connecticut’s policy that allows boys to compete in girls’ events, said: “I am so happy that female athletes in Idaho will not have to face an unfair playing field as I have”.
Unfair
She continued: “Four times I was the fastest female in my race, but I didn’t get the gold medal or the state title; the males in my race took that honor. I have watched this happen over and over again in my sport in Connecticut, as so many girls have been impacted.
“It isn’t fair, and it isn’t right. We need separate sports categories based on biological sex in order to fairly compete.”
It isn’t fair, and it isn’t right
Top rankings
In February, Mitchell and two other teenage athletes launched a legal case against Connecticut’s policy, which allows men to compete in women’s events if they identify as female.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s policy was introduced in 2017, and since then boys have consistently outperformed girls in athletic events for women.
Mitchell, Selina Soule and Alanna Smith say the policy has cost them top rankings and opportunities to compete at elite levels.
Mitchell said: “Our dream is not to come in second or third place, but to win fair and square”.
Also see:
Scot Govt puts radical gender legal changes on ice
Transgender athletes ‘killing women’s sports’
GB Olympian: ‘Men in women’s sport an unequal playing field’