Gov. Kristi Noem signs bill barring transgender athletes from girls’ sports

• Gov. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) has signed a bill that would bar transgender athletes from entering girls’ sports.
• Noem said that the bill aims to promote “a level playing field.”
• The governor also cited other states that have taken similar action.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has signed Senate Bill 46, which will bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ or women’s sports.

The governor said on Thursday’s news conference that the bill aims to promote “fairness.” She added, “It’s about allowing biological females… to compete fairly on a level playing field that gives them opportunities for success.”

The bill was positioned in defense of the federal civil rights law, Title IX, which forbids discrimination in school and education programs on the basis of sex.

Noem said last month, “Title IX fought for that years and years ago and I’ve been doing this for years, which started, man, almost five years ago now in the sport of rodeo, where we protected girls’ events.”

Last year, the governor had reportedly vetoed a similar bill. She included requests to change provisions related to college sports, explaining that these would be unworkable for organizations that compete on a national level.

Noem clarified that decision last month, saying, “I did not veto a bill. What I did was, I asked my legislature for changes, and they rejected it. So immediately that very same day I put executive orders in place to protect girls’ sports.”

The bill was opposed last year by critics who argued that it could lead to lawsuits from the NCAA, which could potentially bar the state’s ability to hold nationally sanctioned events.

Noem’s office responded with optimism and cited other states that have taken similar actions.

On Thursday, Noem’s Communications Director Ian Fury told Fox News Digital, “Governor Noem is confident that the NCAA will not pull events. Look at the states with SEC schools that have passed similar legislation – the NCAA has done nothing to threaten their events.”

Source: FOX News