We Keep LGBTQ+ Women & Girls Up-To-Date
Idaho Governor Brad Little recently signed into law HB500, a law that prevents transgender female student-athletes from playing the sport they love on a team that matches their gender. The ban will come into effect on July 1, 2020.
The NCAA had already taken a stand against this anti-trans law. This time, the sports organization defended the trans community again in response to a letter sent by civil rights groups asking it not to host the events planned in Idaho.
The letter referred to the first and second round of NCAA men’s basketball tournament games scheduled for March 2021 in Boise.
The organization reiterated that House Bill 500 is “harmful to transgender student-athletes and conflicts with the NCAA’s core values of inclusivity, respect and the equitable treatment of all individuals.”
In any case, there is always the possibility of hosting sports events scheduled in Idaho in another state.
In 2017 the NCAA pulled out of the state its basketball tournament games and the ACC Football Championship game as a result of North Carolina’s anti-trans bill HB2, which banned transgender people from using public bathrooms based on their gender.
Pressure from businesses and organizations had borne fruit in North Carolina, and it’s now Idaho’s turn to suffer the same treatment in the face of discriminatory policies.
For now, this is just a statement against Idaho law. There are no official game cancellations yet.
Nevertheless, the NCAA statement pointed out that its policy “requires host sites to demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination, plus safeguards the dignity of everyone involved in the event.”
We are therefore awaiting a future decision by the NCAA Board of Governors they will take at a meeting in August 2020, as stated in the statement.
The NCAA reiterates for the second time its support for the LGBTQ community and its opposition to legislation that discriminates against transgender athletes.
Comments