March 30 (Reuters) – The Republican governors of Oklahoma and Arizona signed bills on Wednesday banning transgender athletes from playing sports in girls’ schools, joining a growing list of states that have passed or enacted similar laws. on a controversial election year issue.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also signed a bill banning irreversible gender reassignment surgery for minors.
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The American Civil Liberties Union said it would challenge the ban on gender reassignment surgery in court, saying on Twitter that “the government cannot violate our rights without a fight.”
Transgender rights have come to the fore of the culture wars raging in the United States in recent years, along with issues like reproductive rights. Ducey also signed a bill Wednesday that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Supporters of the sports bans argue they are necessary to ensure transgender athletes are not given an unfair advantage, while opponents call the measures discriminatory.
The Save Oklahoma Women’s Sports Act applies to the state’s public schools through college.
“We’re protecting women’s sports, we’re ensuring a level playing field for female athletes,” Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said at the signing ceremony, surrounded by young athletes.
Oklahoma and Arizona are now among 14 states that have enacted laws barring transgender girls from participating and competing in girls’ sports at school.
A similar bill passed in Kentucky last week and is awaiting action by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
Opponents of the bans have characterized the laws as backed by conservative special interests to drum up support ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections, in which Republicans aim to regain majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2019 that 1.8% of high school students in the country are transgender. The human rights group Human Rights Campaign has said that, according to surveys, only 12% of them play on girls’ sports teams.
The Human Rights Campaign said it is tracking more than 300 LGBTQ+-targeted bills currently moving through state legislatures, many specifically targeting transgender youth.
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