Gov. refuses to veto bill amid overwhelming support for fairness in women's sports
By enacting the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, Louisiana becomes the nineteenth state Campus Reform has tracked to impose sex-specific categories for athletics.
The new law requires 'intercollegiate and interscholastic athletic teams according to the biological sex of the team members.'
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards allowed a bill that bans men from women’s sports to become law.
Bel Edwards will not sign the legislation, however, The Hill reports.
He said stated he would not veto the legislation due to overwhelming support from the legislature.
By enacting the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, Louisiana becomes the nineteenth state Campus Reform has tracked to impose sex-specific categories for athletics.
Georgia’s law, however, pertains to high school athletes.
The bill cleared both houses last month. It passed the House 72-21, and then the Senate 32-6.
Despite the support, Edwards was adamant in his disapproval. Still, he will not evoke his veto power.
“Whether it’s intended or not the effect is to send a strong message to at least some of these young people that they shouldn’t be who they think they are, who they believe they are, who they know that they are,” the governor reportedly said.
Edwards did veto an attempt to impose gender-based athletics last year.
In June 2021, the Democratic governor stated that he would not support the bill because “discrimination is not a Louisiana value.”
Gov. Edwards’ statement on his veto of Senate Bill 156, which sought to prevent transgender girls and women from participating on athletic teams or in sporting events designated for girls or women at elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools. #lagov #lalege pic.twitter.com/i8UPo5sko4
— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) June 22, 2021
The 2022 version was sponsored by Senator Beth Mizell.
The new law requires “intercollegiate and interscholastic athletic teams according to the biological sex of the team members.”
Campus Reform contacted Governor Edward’s office and was directed to a press conference in which the governor restated his support for trans athletes and claimed the bill was going to “become law” regardless if he signed it.
Representative Laurie Schlegel brought the bill to the House of Representatives in May.
Schlegel referenced trans athlete Lia Thomas and insisted his victory at the NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship was unfair.
[RELATED: WATCH: Alexa Schwerha calls out ‘selfish’ Lia Thomas]
Thomas recently appeared on Good Morning America and discussed the heated debate about his entrance into women’s collegiate sports, as well as his Olympics prospects.
Several female athletes have come forward to protest biological males, like Lia Thomas, from being allowed to compete against biological women.
Campus Reform spoke last week with one of Thomas’ competitors, Riley Gaines, about competing with trans athletes.
Gaines told Campus Reform that she doesn’t want this conversation to “die down” since she and her fellow athletes “deal with this every day.”
Campus Reform reached out to every person and university mentioned in this article and will update accordingly.
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