Athletes competing.Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
North Dakota Gov.Doug Burgumhas vetoed a bill that proposed prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in K-12 school sports teams.
The decision came on Wednesday, when Burgum shot down the proposed legislation,House Bill 1298, which had passed 27-20 in the state Senate and 69-25 in the House.
According toThe Bismarck Tribune, the Concerned Women for America of North Dakota had implored the governor to sign the bill into law, claiming that doing so would “protect biological girls who train and work hard to excel in their chosen sport.”
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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.Stephen Yang/Getty Images
TheNDHSAA’s current rules, dated November 2015, state that “any transgender student who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in a sex-separated interscholastic contest in accordance with the sex assigned to him or her at birth.”
“A trans male (female to male) student who has undergone treatment with testosterone for gender transition may compete in a contest for boys but is no longer eligible to compete in a contest for girls,” the rules read.
“A trans female (male to female) student being treated with testosterone suppression medication for gender transition may continue to compete in a contest for boys butmay not compete in a contest for girlsuntil completing one calendar year of documented testosterone-suppression treatment,” the rules conclude.
Female athletes playing soccer.Getty
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“We have every confidence they will continue to ensure a level playing field for the more than 27,000 students who participate in North Dakota high school sports,” Burgum said in his statement, according toThe Hill.
The Bismarck Tribunereports that the state Senate and House could ultimately override the governor’s decision with a two-thirds majority vote.
News of Burgum’s veto comes amid aslew of bills being proposed around the countryseeking to ban transgender athletes from school teams that align with their gender identity,including in states like Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.
source: people.com
