Alabama has banned transgender women athletes from participating in female college team sports.
The state previously only banned trans athletes from joining female sports for grades K-12. But this time, Alabama Governor, Kay Ivey, signed the expanded version of the legislation.
Alabama Bans Trans Athletes from Women's College Teams
According to ABC News, Alabama Gov. Ivey signed legislation on Tuesday, which bans transgender women from participating on female sports teams in college. The law, which takes effect immediately, is the latest in a wave of anti-trans legislation being passed in conservative states.
The Alabama Gov. explains how the newly signed legislation works. Ivey says, "If you are a biological male, you are not going to be competing in women's and girls' sports in Alabama." The 78-year-old governor emphasized that it is all "about fairness."
In 2021, the state passed a law banning transgender athletes from participating in K-12 sports teams. The legislation essentially blocks trans athletes from playing sports different from their assigned sex at birth despite undergoing hormone treatment.
NBC News reports that the bill passed both chambers with 16-4 votes in the Alabama Senate. In the House of Representatives, it received an outstanding 83-5 votes with more than a dozen abstainers.
Supporters of the bill argue that trans women have an unfair advantage over females in sporting competitions.
As per Fox News, Republican Representative Susan DuBose points out that allowing trans women to join female sports puts the latter at a disadvantage despite the hormone therapy. DeBose, the bill's sponsor, claims, "Forcing women to compete against biological men would reverse decades of progress that women made for equal opportunity in athletics."
Critics Blast Trans Ban Expansion
The newly signed law in Alabama, banning trans athletes from female college teams faced swift criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates. They say it is discriminatory and harmful to transgender youth.
Human Rights Campaign Alabama State Director, Carmarion Anderson-Harvey, slammed the new legislation. The leader of the LGBTQ advocacy group calls the law a "systematic attack against LGBTQ+ people."
Anderson-Harvey notes that the Alabama governor and "extremist lawmakers" have passed four anti-LGBTQ bills in the past two years.
The Human Rights Campaign Alabama State Director notes that the anti-LGBTQ bills include bathroom and lock room usage restrictions for transgenders. The state has also banned gender-affirming medical care for trans youth who are still minors.
Given that, Anderson-Harvey says, "these politicians are making Alabama an increasingly hostile place" not only for transgender people but for the entire LGBTQ+ community as well.