The New Hampshire Senate has passed a bill that would place restrictions on transgender athletes.
The bill would prohibit transgender athletes in grades 5-12 from competing on teams that align with their gender identity.
Supporters of the bill say they want to protect girls from injuries caused by large, strong transgender athletes.
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New Hampshire has passed a bill that would ban transgender athletes in grades 5 through 12 from competing based on their gender identity. (Fox News)
“When we talk about fairness and rights, we can’t cover all situations. So in a very narrow sense, and I think it’s very obvious to most of us, biological boys are ,” said Senate President Jeb Bradley, a Republican from Wolfeboro. “It’s never possible to legislate perfect fairness. But what we can’t do is create the rights of one at the expense of the other.”
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers who opposed the bill argued it was based on fear-mongering. Sen. Debra Altschiller, a Democrat from Stratham, said there are only five transgender girls in New Hampshire who are athletes.
“Those five girls are not a threat. They are the ones who are,” she said. “This protective stance may seem brave, but we say, ‘No, thank you.’ If you really want to protect girls, protect marginalized transgender girls. ”
Passage of the bill comes weeks after Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders signed an executive order in response to President Biden’s new Title IX regulations that added protections for transgender athletes. Mr Sanders said he was “appalled” by the “attack on common sense”.
FILE – Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 7, 2023. (Pool photo, file via Al Drago/AP)
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At least 20 states have approved blanket bans on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and college sports teams across the state, but the Biden administration’s rules prohibiting such outright bans , is scheduled to take effect this year after repeated delays and much backlash.
In New Hampshire, the Senate previously passed a bill that would ban transgender girls from participating in sports teams at both the high school and college levels, but the House rejected it earlier this month.
Senate President Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfboro) will preside over the Senate on May 15. (Margie Cullen/USA TODAY NETWORK)
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Six states sue the Department of Education Due to the Title IX overhaul. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scrametti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Tuesday that they are leading the case.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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