South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has proposed draft legislation for a bill to protect fairness and opportunity in women’s and girls’ sports. If passed, the bill would prohibit biological males from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams. Noem has indicated that she would like to get the bill through the legislature within the first two weeks of the 2022 session, which begins on January 11.
Supporters were disappointed earlier this year when Governor Noem vetoed the a similar Women’s Sports bill passed by the legislature, just weeks after she had expressed her eagerness to sign it. Along with other pro-family organizations, Minnesota Family Council sent a letter urging Governor Noem to withdraw her veto. At the time, Noem cited concerns about potential litigation, although many questioned if this was really her reason. South Dakota currently has an executive order intended to protect girls sports, but the South Dakota High School Activities Association allows male students to participate in girls’ sports on the basis of “gender identity.” An executive order applying to colleges and universities recommends banning biological males from women’s sports teams but provides no enforcement.
This draft legislation is a hopeful sign. Women and girls in South Dakota need better protection of their athletic opportunities than current executive orders provide. This bill offers much stronger protection than those orders and would preserve fairness and opportunity for women and girls in sports. Representative Rhonda Milstead and Senator Maggie Sutton, the sponsors of last session’s bill said in a press release,
We are pleased that the Governor confirms that collegiate athletes need to be protected as well as k-12. It is also encouraging that the Senate President Pro Temp understands the danger it is to female athletes success when any biological male participates in girls competitive sports. Getting a bill across the finish line is critical to the future of women’s sports.
Norman Woods, Director of Family Heritage Alliance, our sister organization in South Dakota, also expressed optimism saying,
Though we would have liked to see Governor Noem sign a similar women’s sports bill earlier this year, we’re pleased to see she’s changed her position on protecting women here in South Dakota.
The biological differences between men and women give men a significant advantage over women in athletic competitions. This is exactly why the establishment of women’s and girls’ sports teams was so important in the first place! After less than 50 years, Title IX is under attack. When biological males are allowed to compete on women’s and girls’ sports teams, female athletes lose opportunities and are put at risk for serious injury.
Given the Biden administration’s choice to push the transgender agenda at the expense of women and girls, it is vital that states take the lead in protecting and preserving fairness and opportunity for female athletes. If South Dakota passes and enacts this bill, it will become the tenth state to protect women’s sports in state law. 19 more states, including Minnesota, have proposed similar legislation. Here in Minnesota a provision prohibiting biological males from competing on female sports teams was included in the Senate’s education budget bill but was not backed by the House and was removed during negotiations. The bill was still a milestone, marking the furthest that Save Women’s Sports legislation has ever advanced in the Minnesota legislature and is a hopeful sign for the coming session.
(Image: Flickr, Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0)
