Defying an NCAA warning, the Texas Senate approved a bill that bans any athlete born as a male to compete in girls’ sports.
The NCAA Board of Governors last week warned it could pull championship games from states that allow athletes to compete only according to their biological sex. The board said it “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports.”
But the author of the Texas bill, Republican state Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock, explained it’s about “protecting female athletes and recognizing their accomplishments within their biological peer group.”
The state Senate approved the bill Thursday by an 18-12 vote. It now heads to the Texas House.
The NCAA said in its statement last Monday that its “policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination should be selected.”
“We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.”
Dozens of other states are considering similar measures, and Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Idaho already have laws in place.
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