Florida Officially Bans Transgender Athletes From Female School Sports Teams

Florida has officially banned transgender athletes from participating in female sports teams in public high schools and colleges.

Republican governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill, known as The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, into law on the morning of Tuesday, June 1, at an event at the Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville.

The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee and West Virginia have all now passed similar legislation, with South Dakota’s governor, Kristi Noem, having also signed an executive order.

This legislation will now prevent athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s scholastic sports if they were not assigned female at birth. This ban reportedly does not include elementary school athletes.

DeSantis said:

In Florida, girls are going to play girls’ sports, and boys are going to play boys’ sports.

After the signing, DeSantis tweeted:

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act will empower Florida women & girls to be able to compete on a level playing field. This will help ensure that opportunities for things like college scholarships will be protected for female athletes for years to come.

Florida has now become the eighth and largest US state to impose such restrictions, sparking concern among many of those campaigning for transgender equality.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open 8pm–midnight Mondays and Fridays and is run by trans volunteers.