Indiana governor vetoes transgender sports ban
similar laws seeking to bar transgender athletes from competing in other states have been blocked by federal courts. He also questioned whether the bill addressed any pressing issue, writing in a letter to lawmakers explaining his veto that the bill presumes “that there is an existing problem in K-12 sports in Indiana that requires further state government intervention.”“It implies that the goals of consistency and fairness in competitive female sports are not currently being met,” Holcomb wrote in his letter. “After thorough review, I find no evidence to support either claim even if I support the overall goal.”He also noted that in the past 10 years, no transgender student has completed the process established by the Indiana High School Athletic Association to request to participate on female-designated sports teams.Holcomb’s veto may be overridden by his fellow Republicans in the GOP-dominated legislature, who hold veto-proof majorities and have largely hailed the bill’s passage as a necessary step to ensure that cisgender females do not lose out on the chance to win awards, qualify for higher-level meets, or earn college scholarships, which could occur if they are forced to compete against transgender girls.According to The New York Times, Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita previously praised the bill as “an important step in protecting youth sports,” adding: “We welcome the opportunity to defend this law if challenged in court.”Transgender sports participation has become a controversial issue in the past few years, with conservatives increasingly pushing bans to eliminate what they see as an unfair physical advantage enjoyed by athletes who were assigned male at birth.
