Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) signed a bill that bans biological males from participating in women’s sports into law.
The Save Women’s Sports Act was passed by the South Carolina General Assembly on May 10 and signed by McMaster on Monday.
The law seeks to “ensure that fair opportunities are preserved for all children to compete in sports” based on “a student’s biological sex on the student’s official birth certificate.”
“Athletic teams or sports designated for males, men, or boys shall not be open to students of the female sex, unless no team designated for females in that sport is offered at the school in which the student is enrolled,” the bill reads. “Athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex.”
The bill had overwhelming support from the South Carolina General Assembly, passing the Senate in a 30-10 vote and the House in a 70-33 vote.
“We applaud Governor McMaster and South Carolina lawmakers for taking action to protect a fair playing field for girl athletes,” said Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project. “With 16 states now having taken this step, there is no excuse left for those states that haven’t, particularly those led by Republicans. This is now a litmus-test issue for the GOP, and voters will be paying attention to what their leaders either do or fail to do as we approach the midterms.”
South Carolina United for Justice and Equality blasted the move, calling the bill “anti-trans.”
“It pains us to see lawmakers ignore thousands in SC — including parents, medical providers, faith leaders & trans people — who worked to #SupportTransYouthSC and reject this dangerous bill,” the group tweeted on Tuesday.
With the law, South Carolina joins Idaho , Mississippi , Tennessee, Arkansas , West Virginia, Montana, Alabama, Florida, Texas , South Dakota , Iowa , Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah, and Kentucky in banning biological males from women’s sports.
* Article from: The Washington Examiner
