Lawmakers May Ban Trans-Athletes On Women's College Teams In Indiana

Source: PHOTO: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

STATEHOUSE — State lawmakers are planning to consider a ban on transgender athletes competing on women’s teams in college sports in Indiana.

The proposed law, written by State Rep. Michelle Davis (R-Whiteland), is similar to that of one she wrote and eventually got signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb last year. It bans transgender athletes from competing on girls’ athletic teams at the K-12 level.

“While males and females are equal in worth, biological differences undeniably affect athletic performance,” Davis said in an emailed statement. “To ensure a level playing field, it’s important that girls compete against girls, and boys against boys.”

The bill is getting pushback from groups who advocate for the LGBTQ community. Organizations like GenderNexus say the bill would amount to an invasion of privacy by outing trans-women on college sports teams from out of state.

The proposal would require any teams from out-of-state with a trans-athlete on their roster to give the opposing school in Indiana 60 days’ notice.

“It’s like, for anybody else, putting your personal and private medical information out for the world to see,” said Emma Vosicky with GenderNexus on WISH-TV. “Which also means that, because we’ve seen it already in other states, word then spreads out, people who want to heckle and call names and do all of those things will show up for sporting events.”

Groups like the Independent Council on Women’s Sports say the bill is another step in the right direction for biological women to compete on a level playing field.

“Sport rules are based on objective criteria. The effort to change rules based on somebody’s subjective identity is not fair to women,” said Bill Bock with the ICWS. “Who, for decades, have had their own categories in sport. And because of male performance advantage, those women should not be disadvantaged.”

Indy Pride is also speaking against the bill.

“They’ve said this argument with race and they’ve said this argument with gender and now they are saying it with transgender,” said Aundrea Lacy with Indy Pride. “Just grow up. It’s time to grow up.”

The legislative session begins next Wednesday.