Governor Ron DeSantis has put his signature on a bill banning transgender females from playing on girl’s and women’s sports teams.
“Girls are going to play girl sports and boys are going to play boy sports,” DeSantis explained as he unveiled the plan while speaking in front of athletes at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville on Tuesday morning.
The bill explains that athletic teams or sports that are designated for female students are open to female students. The governor added, “we’re going to go based off biology.”
DeSantis praised the bill saying, “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act will empower Florida women & girls to be able to compete on a level playing field. This will help ensure that opportunities for things like college scholarships will be protected for female athletes for years to come.”
A track and field athlete from Connecticut also spoke during the press conference saying that she was denied opportunities by two male athletes who identified as female athletes, and they beat records she and other peers had “no hope” of beating.
When asked what message he’s sending when signing this bill on the first day of Pride Month, DeSantis said “It’s not a message to anything other than saying we’re going to protect fairness in women’s sports.”
Moments after signing the bill into law, the Duval County Democratic Party released a statement saying, in part, “Let me be clear — Transgender Americans have constitutionally protected rights that have been reaffirmed in both law and judicial rulings. They should be seen, heard, and accepted. As the Duval County Democratic Party, we will continue to speak out and fight against discrimination of the transgender community.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried also released a written statement saying, “By signing a heartless ban on transgender kids in sports, Governor DeSantis is marginalizing an entire community. Signing it on the first day of Pride Month is especially cruel. Florida should stand for inclusivity, equality, and liberty – not peddling hate for political points.”