South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem this week signed into law a new measure that made the state the 10th in the nation to have a transgender-centric law that prohibits biological males from participating in women's sports. The law states, "Only female students, based on their biological sex, may participate in any team, sport, or athletic event designated as being for females, women, or girls."
This did not sit well with the Biden administration.
"These anti-transgender bills are nothing more than bullying disguised as legislation and undermine our nation's core values," White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz said, as per 18thNews.com.
Munoz argued, "These bills don't keep kids safe - they put children and their families at risk of bullying and discrimination and, according to one recent study, damage the mental wellbeing of young people who deserve love and support."
The new measure gained traction when two high school athletes in Connecticut who were born male began to identify as female and went on to win over a dozen state titles in the girls' division, the Christian Headlines reported. Supporters of the new law said it was necessary.
"Every girl deserves to know that she can compete on a level playing field in sports," Family Policy Alliance director of strategy Meridian Baldacci said. "Female student athletes in South Dakota now have that protection at all levels of competition."
The issue of allowing male-born athletes who identify as female compete in women's sports is not limited to state level competitions. In fact, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and USA Swimming recently updated their transgender policies following the controvery of male-born Lia Thomas breaking records in women's competitions.
USA Swimming's new rules require transgender women athletes like Thomas to have a testosterone level of "less than 5 nmol/L" consistently for at least three years. In addition, a three-person panel composed of independent medical experts will also ahve to decide if a transgender athlete has a "competitive advantage" over female-born athletes based on "prior physical development of the athlete as a male."
Thomas' swimming teammates at the University of Pennsylvania have decried his participation in the sport, especially when he has not had bottom surgery and continues to maintain his male body parts, as witnessed by some of his team members. They said it was "awkward" to have to share locker rooms with him.
ABC News reported that following Thomas' exemplary performance that broke women's records in swimming, several athletes criticized both the system that allowed the transgender athlete to compete, and the athlete himself. Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, who came out as transgender in 2015, even opposed allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.
"[B]iological boys-I've said from the beginning-should not be playing in women's sports. We need to protect women's sports," Jenner said. The former Olympian added that while she respects Thomas' wishes to live "life authentically," it was equally important to note that his "respiratory system is bigger," that his "hands are bigger," that he "can swim faster. That's a known."
Jenner concluded, "All of this woke world that we're living in right now is not working."
