Utah law states that “a male student may not compete and a public school or (Local Education Service) may not allow a male student to compete, with a group of female students in a inter-school sports activity “. He defines “sex” as “the biological, physical state of being a man or a woman, determined by a person’s genetics and anatomy at birth.” While sex is a category widely referred to in physiology, a person’s gender is an innate sense of identity. Factors influencing the sex determination listed on the birth certificate can include anatomy, genetics, and hormones, and there is a great deal of natural variation in each of these categories. For this reason, critics have said that the language of “biological sex” as used in this legislation is too simplistic and misleading. “We must work to maintain the integrity of women’s sports and ensure that it remains fair and secure for all,” Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, a Republican, said in a statement earlier this week. “We listened to our voters, we talked to experts and we think it is important to make decisions now that will protect athletes and ensure that women are not excluded from their sport.” The debate over the inclusion of trans athletes, especially women and girls, has become a political flashpoint, especially among conservatives. Utah is the 12th state to impose such a ban on its books in recent years, uniting Iowa and South Dakota this year. The law is due to take effect in July.
The law was reviewed “at the last minute”.
Vetoing the bill Tuesday, Cox said legislation on the subject had previously voiced support for “major last-minute revisions” that have now created a “complete ban” on books. “It is important to note that a complete ban was never discussed, never considered, never discussed and never received a public contribution before the bill was passed by the legislature on the 45th and last night of the session,” he said. HB 11 states that if a court ever repeals the ban, the decision will trigger the creation of a committee that “will establish a basic range of physical characteristics for students participating in a gender-defined activity at a certain age to provide the framework for assessing an individual student ‘s eligibility for a gender – defined interdisciplinary activity. “ The committee will consider the cases on an individual basis to determine the eligibility of a trans student to apply. In making a decision, committee members will consider whether the student could “pose a significant safety risk to the student or others that is significantly greater than the inherent risks of the given activity” or “would give the student a substantial competitive advantage when compared to students of the same age competing in the relevant activity determined on the basis of gender, including the examination of the student’s previous history of participation in interdisciplinary activities defined by gender. “ Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. But a 2017 report in the journal Sports Medicine that looked at several related studies found “no direct or consistent research” on trans people who have an athletic advantage over their peers, and critics say the legislation adds to the discrimination they face. trans people, especially trans youth. In a marked departure from the way other GOP governors discussed the issue, Cox showed a sympathetic voice on the issue when he explained to lawmakers why he vetoed HB 11. He stressed in a letter to state legislatures that only four of the 75,000 high school athletes in his state are trans. “Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I do not understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live,” he wrote, noting that studies have shown that high suicide rates among trans students can be reduced when show them “even a little acceptance and connection”. On Monday, Republican Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb also vetoed a ban on trans sports in his state, arguing that it was too widely written and that he found “no evidence” that the problem he was seeking to correct. his state existed. Opponents of the ban have had limited legal success in combating the measures, including last year when a federal judge temporarily blocked its ban in West Virginia after’s advocates sued the state, saying the judge had provide little evidence that this law addresses any problem, let alone a major problem ”. And in 2020, a federal judge blocked the imposition of the Idaho sports ban. This story has been updated with additional history information. CNN’s Hannah Sarisohn contributed to this report.
