Sanika Deshpande –
Published On: October 17, 2021 at 07:45 IST
The Texas House of Representatives passed a Bill on 14th October which would bar trans students from playing on school sports teams.
This Bill would require Public School Athletic Teams to be based on students’ Gender on their Birth Certificates.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas tweeted, “The Texas House just voted to discriminate against trans kids and exclude them from playing sports as their authentic selves.”
The Bill largely aims at the ability of trans women and girls to participate in sports.
Republican state Representative Valoree Swanson who introduced the Bill said that it restricts public school athletes to play on teams matching their biological gender and prevents men who identify as women from gaining an advantage in sports of women.
The Bill’s text says that the measure does not allow modified birth certificates to be accepted but only if they’re to be altered “To correct a clerical error”.
The critics have pushed back Swanson’s claims when he said that there has been an increase in inquiries to the state university interscholastic league to implement a policy addressing inquiry when biological male’s compete in women’s sport.
Later, the state Democratic Rep. Erin Zwiener who is a detractor of the bill stated that “We’re not stopping the fight to protect trans kids”.
Also Read: What is Hungary’s Controversial Anti- LGBTQ Law?