Wyoming governor signs bill to keep men out of women's sports
Gov. Mark Gordon has signed legislation into law requiring that athletes at the University of Wyoming and state community colleges compete only in categories that align with their actual sex.
His decision marks a shift from his response to a similar 2023 bill restricting transgender participation in youth sports, which he allowed to pass without his signature while calling the law 'discriminatory' and 'draconian.'
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has signed legislation into law requiring that athletes at the University of Wyoming and state community colleges compete only in categories that align with their actual sex.
Signed on March 13, the law prohibits such institutions from competing against schools that do not uphold the same standard.
State Sen. Wendy Schuler, the bill’s sponsor, has since expressed her enthusiasm for the governor’s decision; she believes the law is essential to maintaining a level playing field and ensuring the safety of female athletes in college sports.
“I’m tickled pink the governor put his stamp of approval on it,” Schuler told The Cowboy State Daily. “It’s nice to see in statute.”
Similar measures are being pursued at the national level.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to revoke federal funding from schools that fail to keep males out of female sports. Shortly after, the NCAA updated its student-athlete policy, barring males who identify as female from competing in women’s collegiate sports.
“Regardless of what happens with the executive order, we’re protecting girls in Wyoming,” Schuler told The Cowboy State Daily. “Now, we don’t have to worry about men playing in women’s sports.”
The issue gained attention last fall when San Jose State University (SJSU), a member of the Mountain West Conference alongside the University of Wyoming, included a male volleyball player who claims he is a female on its women’s team.
[RELATED: NCAA adjusts trans athlete policy to align with Trump executive order]
Gov. Gordon’s decision marks a shift from his response to a similar 2023 bill restricting transgender participation in youth sports, which he allowed to pass without his signature, while calling the law “discriminatory” and “draconian.” This time, however, he signed the collegiate sports bill without public comment thus far.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Wyoming and Gov. Gordon for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.