The new law, known as HB 11, is likely to be challenged in court, lawmakers said. If a lawsuit arises, the measure will trigger a panel of experts to determine eligibility in individual cases and assess students’ physical characteristics such as height, weight and wingspan, the law says. The law enters into force on July 1. Most Republicans in the legislature who voted in favor of the bypass said they were concerned about fairness in girls’ sports, while Democrats who voted against it argued that trans young people would feel unnecessarily targeted and that their mental health would suffer. Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican in his first term running for re-election in 2024, faced a political push from his party when he debated the bill this month after it was approved last minute by Republican senators. In a letter explaining his veto on Wednesday, he said he was concerned that a total ban would endanger the lives of trans children and believed the bill had not been adequately discussed. “Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few,” he said of the four trans kids who play high school sports in Utah out of about 85,000 student-athletes. Proponents of the measure, however, say the number will increase. State Senator Daniel McCay, who introduced the proposed ban and defended it in the state Senate, said in an interview that it was unfair for trans girls to play in girls’ sports and that it was “time to move on”. which was discussed in the Legislature of the State for more than three years. Eleven other states have enacted similar laws in recent years, as the sporting participation of trans girls and women has become increasingly divisive among political leaders and sports organizations. On Monday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcombe, a Republican, vetoed a similar bill, saying it would likely have been challenged in court and not resolved. Republican lawmakers are also expected to overturn his veto.
To be transgender in America
The Arizona legislature passed a bill Thursday that would prevent trans schoolgirls from participating in girls’ sports teams. Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, has not said whether he will sign it, and his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Cox appeared to be aware of the political danger of taking his veto, writing that while “it would be much easier and better for me to just sign the bill”, he made the decision because he “tried to do what I sense is the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences. “ “I want them to live,” he said of transgender student-athletes, adding that their mental health could be worsened by the bill and could increase their risk of suicide. Mr Cox’s veto reflected a variety of political and personal equations in a state that is still receptive to a mediocre Republican signal such as that of Senator Mitt Romney, local politicians and analysts said. These included fears that transgender legislation was bad for attracting and retaining businesses, Mr. Cox’s own history being sensitive to LGBTQ concerns, and a frustration with his party lawmakers who felt they had him. blind to the passage of legislation. Lawmakers also passed a bill that would compensate school districts and fund the cost of expected lawsuits. Republican senators and members of the House of Representatives, who hold a majority in both houses, met on Monday and decided they could raise the two-thirds threshold required for a bypass, McCay said. Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, an LGBTQ rights group, was involved in the bill and argued that trans young people should be allowed to participate in girls’ sports. He said he had heard from Republican senators that if they did not vote in favor of the ban, they would “lose their race” in the upcoming election. Mr Williams described the ban as harsh, discriminatory and an attempt by Republican lawmakers to increase support for a culture war issue as they tackle skeptics in their party’s primary. “It was never about protecting women’s sports,” she said. “It’s all about protecting their political seats.” State Sen. Daniel W. Thatcher, a Republican who voted against the bill, said Friday that he was considering voting in favor of a by-law to improve his stance at an upcoming Republican state assembly. However, he decided on Friday to vote against the bypass, saying the bill was flawed and would hurt the trans community. “If I lose my race, then I lose my fight defending what I believe in – as I always did,” Thatcher said. State spokeswoman Kera Birkeland, a Republican and lead sponsor of the bill that also trains girls basketball, said she was initially open to compromises, but decided the ban was the best solution because it would “maintain the integrity of women’s sports.” Sue Robbins, who serves on Equality Utah’s transgender advisory board, said she was “disappointed” with her lawmakers. “They decided to stop talking and put a ban because it was too much work for them,” Ms Robbins said. “And I just do not think that’s good governance.”