The Kansas senate has passed a bill that would prevent transgender women and girls from participating in female sports. The GOP-co...
The Kansas senate has passed a bill that would prevent transgender women and girls from participating in female sports.
The GOP-controlled senate approved the measure, named the 'Fairness in Women's Sports Act', in a 24-10 vote on Wednesday.
The bill will now be sent to the state's House of Representatives, which is also controlled by Republicans.
Kansas follows in the footsteps of several other states who have also banned transgender females from women's sports.
Idaho enacted a similar law last year, while Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed a measure into law last week.
South Dakota lawmakers passed a ban earlier this month, and GOP Gov. Kristi Noem has promised to sign it.
The Kansas senate has passed a bill that would prevent transgender females from participating in girls' and women's sports. The GOP-controlled senate approved the measure, named the 'Fairness in Women's Sports Act', in a 24-10 vote on Wednesday
Trans supporters say the bill is 'hateful' and 'rooted in bigotry'
Supporters of 'Fairness in Women Sports Act' have framed themselves as feminists. They claim it is fundamentally unfair for biological females to compete with those who are born male.
Republican state Sen. Renee Erickson asked colleagues on the Senate floor Wednesday: 'Do we want to set women's rights back 50 years?'
Another supporter of the bill, Republican state Sen. Virgil Peck, said he backed the bill because he believes in 'old-fashioned chivalry'.
'Have we - men - given away our manpower to the snowflakes? Are we going to allow someone to carry around our manhood in their fanny pack or in their purse?' Peck asked.
'Are there no longer any alpha males who will stand and defend our young ladies, our wives, our daughters, our granddaughters, our neighbors' wives, daughters, and granddaughters?'
But Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Byers - who is the first transgender lawmaker to serve in the state - stated that the bill told transgender students that they can't just be themselves.
'What we just witnessed was the intentional attack on a small group of people that are part of a marginalized community,' Byers said.
Democratic state Rep. Dinah Sykes called the measure 'hateful' and 'rooted in bigotry'.
She also accused some of her Republican colleagues of misogyny.
'I appreciate several of my male colleagues telling me how they want to protect the underdog, how men are superior. I actually find that rather misogynistic and rude,' she said. '
Rep. Stephanie Byers - who is the first transgender lawmaker to serve in the state - (left) stated that the bill told transgender students that they can´t just be themselves
The association that oversees middle and high school activities in Kansas has said it knows of only five transgender students currently active in K-12 activities, and there´s no record of any transgender school sports champions.
All nine Democrats voted against passing the bill, but there was also one Republican member who was also apposed - moderate GOP Sen. Brenda Dietrich.
'This doesn't really seem to be an issue in Kansas at this point in time,' Dietrich said. 'I want to choose compassion and local control today.'
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly hasn't said publicly whether she would veto the measure if it is passed by the House of Representatives.
However, she has advocated for LGBTQ rights, and signed an executive order on her second day in office banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in state hiring and employment decisions.
Many conservatives in Congress and across the nation are responding to an executive order by Democratic President Joe Biden that bans discrimination based on gender identity in school sports and elsewhere, which he signed the day he took office.
Many conservatives in Congress and across the nation are responding to an executive order by Democratic President Joe Biden that bans discrimination based on gender identity in school sports and elsewhere, which he signed the day he took office. Pictured: Transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-meter dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood, left, and other runners in the Connecticut girls Class S indoor track meet in 2019
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