Transgender Athlete Ban possibly affecting This Week’s Election
By Gloria Coleman
Earlier this year, the Trump-backed transgender athlete ban was paused by the courts. They subsequently blocked it when it proved to not be constitutional.
This law passed in Idaho in March and known as the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.” It banned any transgender woman from competing in sports against the other biological sex.
The officials wanted to keep fairness in sports because biological males are on average naturally stronger and faster than women. The Hecox v. Little lawsuit was then filed by those who thought that this law was unconstitutional and should be banned. Hexoc v. Little is also known as House Bill 500.
House Bill 500, according to KTVB7, “prevents transgender athletes who identify as female from participating in girls’ or women’s sports”. It proved unconstitutional based on the 14th Amendment, which says in the first section that “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”
Who has an Unfair Advantage?
According to NBC News, in a statement that regarded the proposed “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2020,” Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah said. “Men and women are biologically different, that’s just a scientific fact”. This statement came from cisgender women complaining that transgender women used their biological strength to win overwhelmingly in their sports.
In 2011, the NCAA published the NCAA Inclusion of Transgender Student-Athletes handbook resource. This allowed transgenders to compete on their preferred gender’s team. But the athletes do have to follow certain rules for testosterone suppression for trans females or supplements for trans males. This is important considering that testosterone is on the banned substance list for the NCAA.
With the Republican Party being the ones to push for the banning of transgender females from competing on girls teams, the election next month will be closely related to this. People say that President Trump and his Republican Party have attacked transgender people since the beginning of his term. This is also said to be included in this fight for competition. Vice President Biden, however, wants to keep the transgender’s rights, including for the trans women to be better than biological women in their sports.
Who looks better?
President Trump’s administration is known as the Discrimination Administration for its many attempts to be anti LGBTQA+. The most notable instance of this in sports in the US is on May 15, when the Department of Education issued a letter in which it declared that the federal rule requires schools to ban transgender athletes from competing in school sports. They then also threatened to hold the funding from Connecticut schools for not complying.
On the other hand, people know Vice President Biden for his welcoming the gay agenda into America. On joebiden.com, they say that he will “direct his Cabinet to ensure immediate and full enforcement of the Equality Act across all federal departments and agencies,” within 100 days of his presumed election. This will lead to transgender athletes allowed into their schools’ sports, said on his website; “On his first day in office, Biden will reinstate the Obama-Biden guidance revoked by the Trump-Pence Administration, which will restore transgender students’ access to sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms in accordance with their gender identity.”
The battle is not over by a long shot
The war for transgender athletes will not stop soon, nor will it be an easy battle to win or lose. The Trump Administration has been working hard to overturn many laws in place from the Obama-Biden administration since 2017. These will make the US a less LGBT+ friendly environment. Meanwhile, Biden will be changing all that if he makes it into office.
The writer of the controversial House Bill 500, Republican Barbara Ehardt, told KTVB7, “We are hopeful that the Courts will ultimately uphold the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act and protect equal opportunities for female athletes in Idaho.”
All administrations want to do what is right by the people. But they also want to do whatever they can to help keep the country safe for everyone, LGBTQA+ or not.