The NCAA Is Officially Supporting Transgender Athletes

Curious about the NCAA's response to Idaho's controversial anti-trans law?

We were waiting for the reaction of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Governors to Idaho’s recent anti-trans law.

In March of this year, Idaho Governor Brad Little signed into law Bill 500, an extremely discriminatory law for transgender female athletes that prohibits them from playing sports in public schools. The law went into effect in July.

Over sixty civil rights organizations and many prominent professional athletes such as Billie Jean King and Megan Rapinoe protested the measure.

The state of California even banned financial travel that cost Idaho more than $90 million.

The NCAA had already provided some semblance of support, but we were waiting for a formal position from the board of governors who were to meet for their annual meeting and discuss the issue.

Following that meeting, which was originally scheduled to take place in August and was rescheduled for later in the year, the NCAA Board of Governors stated:

“Idaho’s House Bill 500 and resulting law is harmful to transgender student-athletes and conflicts with the NCAA’s core values of inclusivity, respect, and the equitable treatment of all individuals.”

The NCAA therefore officially supports transgender athletes and states that “the championships are open to everyone” and that “the Association is committed to assuring that its events are safe and healthy for all who attend.”

It should be noted that they have not decided on the NCAA's first two rounds of the men’s basketball championship location, as everyone is focused on general COVID-19 restrictions.