Louisiana House approves ban on transgender girls competing in K-12, college female sports

The Louisiana House on Tuesday backed a measure that would prohibit transgender girls from competing on K-12 and college sports teams that match their gender identity.

Senate Bill 44 from Franklinton Sen. Beth Mizell, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, advanced out of the House by a 72-21 vote.

The proposal would require that athletic events and teams sponsored by a school that receives state funding “shall be expressly designated, based upon biological sex,” and it would specifically spell out that athletic teams or sports events “designated for females, girls or women shall not be open to students who are not biologically female.”

A similar bill sailed through the Legislature during last year’s session but was vetoed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards. Lawmakers attempted to override that veto but failed to garner the 70 votes necessary in the House to do so.

Edwards said he remains opposed to the proposal, calling it “unnecessary” and “mean-spirited” on his radio show last month, but hasn’t committed to another veto.

State Rep. Laurie Schlegel, a Metairie Republican who presented SB44 on the House floor Tuesday, said the intent of the bill is to “protect the future of women’s sports.” She pointed to the recent victory of Lia Thomas of the University of Pennsylvania, who in March, became the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming title.

“How is that fair? It’s not,” Schlegel said.

House Democratic Leader Sam Jenkins, of Shreveport, called the measure a “solution in search of a problem,” and said those pushing the ban are “just flat out uncomfortable with the existence of transgender children.”

Jenkins noted that transgender youth are four-times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide and urged his colleagues to consider how this vote will be perceived.

“These children, our children, will see this as an attack,” he said. “This bill isn’t needed. It will not help anyone, but it will hurt our children.”

Echoing those comments, state Rep. Rodney Lyons, a Marrero Democrat, said the proposal would usher in a “terrible culture” of “meanness” and “hate.”

State Rep. Rick Edmonds, a Baton Rouge Republican, bristled at those comments.

“This bill is not about bullying,” Edmonds countered. “This bill is about one thing: Do we have the will to protect our young girls and young women who want to participate in female sports?”

Opponents of the measure have repeatedly pointed out that there are no known transgender athletes currently competing in Louisiana.

That’s because the Louisiana High School Athletic Association already has a restrictive policy stating that student-athletes “shall compete in the gender of their birth certificate” unless they’ve undergone sex reassignment surgery — a drastic intervention that’s widely restricted from minors.

State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, a Livonia Democrat, said he agreed with the intent of the bill, but cautioned his colleagues that passing the measure would create a cause of action that would allow transgender athletes to challenge LHSAA’s policy in court.

New Orleans Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry attempted to amend the bill to boost the criminal penalties against school officials that commit sex offenses when attempting to determine the biological sex of an athlete. But House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, a Gonzales Republican, sidelined the proposal, saying it wasn’t germane.

Landry also offered up an amendment that would have required schools that question a student’s eligibility to participate in sports on the basis of the sex to provide that student with counseling. House lawmakers rejected the proposal.

SB44 now heads back to the Senate for concurrence. If it’s approved there, as expected, the bill will head to Edwards’ desk. Republican lawmakers are hoping to give legislative final approval by Friday, so they have time to override a potential veto before the session adjourns on June 6.

Voting to forbid transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports (72): Speaker Schexnayder, Reps Adams, Amedee, Bacala, Beaullieu, Bishop, Bourriaque, Brass, Butler, R. Carter, Cormier, Coussan, Crews, Davis, Deshotel, DeVillier, DuBuisson, Echols, Edmonds, Edmonston, Emerson, Farnum, Firment, Fontenot, Freiberg, Frieman, Gadberry, Garofalo, Geymann, Goudeau, Harris, Hilferty, Hodges, Horton, Huval, Illg, Ivey, M. Johnson, T. Johnson, Kerner, LaCombe, Mack, Magee, McCormick, McFarland, McKnight, McMahen, Miguez, G. Miller, Mincey, Muscarello, Nelson, Orgeron, C. Owen, R. Owen, Pressly, Riser, Romero, Schamerhorn, Schlegel, Seabaugh, St. Blanc, Stagni, Stefanski, Tarver, Thomas, Thompson, Turner, Villio, Wheat, White and Zeringue.

Voting against SB44 (21): Reps Boyd, Bryant, Duplessis, Fisher, Freeman, Gaines, Glover, Green, Hughes, Jefferson, Jenkins, LaFleur, Landry, Larvadain, Lyons, Marcelle, Marino, Newell, Phelps, Pierre and Willard.

Not Voting (12): Reps Bagley, Brown, Carpenter, Carrier, W. Carter, Cox, Hollis, Jordan, D. Miller, Moore, Selders and Wright.