Over the past several years, there have been more and more instances of biological males, who identify as females, competing in girls and women’s sports.
In response, several states have taken action to ensure that only girls and women can compete in female athletics.
According to the Save Women’s Sports organization, nine states passed legislation in 2021 to protect female athletics from biological males wishing to join.
Earlier this year, South Dakota became the 10th state to do so.
And now, Iowa has become the 11th.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law ensuring that only biological females can compete in the state’s female athletics.
The bill (H.F. 2416) stipulates that any interscholastic athletic team, sport, or athletic event “sponsored or sanctioned by an educational institution or organization must be designated as one of the following, based on the sex at birth” of the students participating:
- Females, women, or girls.
- Males, men, or boys.
- Coeducation or mixed.
“Only female students, based on their sex, may participate in any team, sport, or athletic event designated as being for females, women, or girls,” the bill states.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement calling the bill “a victory for girls’ sports in Iowa.”
“No amount of talent, training or effort can make up for the natural physical advantages males have over females. It’s simply a reality of human biology. Forcing females to compete against males is the opposite of inclusivity and it’s absolutely unfair,” Gov. Reynolds added.
“When the law ignores biological reality, female athletes lose medals, podium spots, public recognition, and opportunities to compete,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Holcomb in a statement. “Comparably fit and trained males will always have physical advantages over females—that’s the reason we have girls’ sports.”
The Family Leader, a Iowa-based socially conservative organization, said, “Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and our legislative leaders should be commended for this common-sense measure.”
“Women have fought long and hard for equal athletic opportunities. But allowing genetically male athletes to compete in women’s sports undoes that legacy, puts our girls at an undeniable physical disadvantage, and drives girls to the sidelines of their own sports.
“Our high school girls and college women deserve better. They deserve to compete on a level playing field. And signing this law will ensure their fair chance to compete is protected.”
Numerous media outlets, including The Guardian, NPR, Axios, and The Des Moines Register, reported that Iowa banned “transgender girls” from girls and women’s sports.
But this is misleading.
Iowa banned biological males from competing in girls and women’s sports. These boys, even if they identify as girls, can still play sports. They simply must do so according to their biological sex.
As the press release from Gov. Reynolds makes clear, “No student will be prevented from playing a sport that matches his or her biological sex, or a sport designated as co-ed.”
Photo from Twitter.
