Former college athletes joined lawmakers in Concord on Tuesday to urge Gov. Chris Sununu to sign a bill that would ban transgender girls in middle and high schools from playing on girls' teams. House Bill 1205, known as the “Girls Sports Equity Act,” passed the House and Senate. “It's not just about whether it affects five girls or six girls,” said former state Rep. Casey Klein. “It only takes one transgender student, a male student, to hurt female students or take away scholarships from female students.” Supporters of the bill said transgender athletes could have an unfair advantage over athletes who are listed as female on their birth certificates, raising questions about their safety. >> Download the free WMUR app to get the latest news on the go: Apple | Google Play << "We can't prioritize inclusion over equity and safety," said Riley Gaines, a former college athlete and vocal advocate of barring transgender women from girls' sports. "That's why sports categories are created in the first place," Gaines said. She said she knows firsthand the impact on other female athletes after competing against the first transgender woman to win an NCAA championship, Leah Thomas. "I saw the impact, I saw the tears," Gaines said. "I saw the tears of girls who missed out on being an All-American by one spot." The ACLU of New Hampshire opposed the bill, saying transgender youth were being relentlessly targeted in what they called a "difficult legislative session." The organization said transgender students want to participate in sports for the same reasons as everyone else -- to be part of a team and challenge themselves -- and that they have the right to do so without discrimination.
Former college athletes joined lawmakers in Concord on Tuesday to urge Gov. Chris Sununu to sign a bill that would ban transgender girls in middle and high schools from playing on girls' teams.
House Bill 1205, known as the “Women's Sports Fairness Act,” has been passed by both the House and the Senate.
“It's not just a question of whether it affects five girls or six girls,” said former state representative Casey Klein, “it only takes one transgender student, one male student, to hurt girls and take away their scholarships.”
Supporters of the bill said it could give transgender athletes an unfair advantage over those whose birth certificates list them as female and raise safety questions.
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“Inclusion cannot take precedence over fairness and safety,” said Riley Gaines, a former college athlete who has been a vocal advocate for barring transgender women from women's sports, “which is why sports categories are created in the first place.”
Gaines said she knows firsthand the impact it can have on other female athletes having competed against Leah Thomas, the first transgender woman to win an NCAA championship.
“It was shocking. I saw the tears,” Gaines said. “I saw the tears of the girls who missed out on one chance to be an All-American.”
The ACLU of New Hampshire opposes the bill, saying transgender young people are being relentlessly targeted during what they call a “difficult legislative session.”
The group said transgender students want to participate in sports for the same reasons as everyone else – to challenge themselves as part of a team – and that they have the right to do so without discrimination.
