FRANKFURT, Kiev (AP) – The Democratic governor of Kentucky on Wednesday vetoed a bill banning transgender women and girls from participating in school sports that match their gender identity from sixth grade through college.
In a veto, Gov. Andy Beshiar said the Republican -backed measure “likely” violates the equal rights of the U.S. Constitution because it “discriminates against transgender children who try to participate in women’s or women’s sports. . “
The state legislature, led by parliament, will have a chance to overcome the veto when lawmakers meet again on April 13 for the last two days of this year’s session. The transgender bill has occasionally sparked emotional debate, but both chambers were expelled in support of a large majority.
Republican -led states are increasingly enforcing such bans on transgender women and girls, although war -related cultural bans are being protested in some states as a violation of federal law. Beshaar noted that similar steps were taken The veto of Republican governors.
According to the Kentucky Bill, a student’s gender is determined by the “biological sex” listed on the student’s original birth certificate.
Republican Senator Robbie Mills, a major sponsor of the bill, said the event will ensure that girls and women compete with other “biological women.”
In vetoing the event, Beshaar said his supporters could not provide a “single example” in Kentucky of anyone gaining a competitive advantage through “gender redistribution.”
“Transgender children deserve the efforts of public officials to show that they are important members of our community with compassion, kindness and compassion, even if you don’t understand,” the governor wrote.
Mills said the bill reflects parental concerns over the Bluegrass state. She said she “thinks ahead” to avoid situations where women or girls are unfairly competing with biological males.
“It would be disastrous for a young woman to train her entire career to eventually compete as a biological man in a state tournament or state final,” Mills said in a debate on the bill.
The governor’s veto was answered by the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy organization based in Kentucky. Group CEO Chris Hartmann called it “dangerous legislation that deprives transgender women and young women of the opportunity to grow and learn from being on the team just for who they are.”
“Initially, this bill was more about fear than justice,” Hartmann added.
David Walsh, chief executive of The Family Foundation, who supports the measures, said the governor supports “his awakened political base” in vetoing the bill.
“Biology is important, especially in sports, and we hope the General Assembly will overcome Beshir’s veto to protect women’s sports in Kentucky,” Walsh said.
At the committee hearing, lawmakers heard reports from a young transgender woman about the importance of playing hockey on the high school field in her life. Fisher Wales spoke about the friends he became and how happy the team member was.
“It’s disgusting that this bill has been proposed,” he said. “It’s terrible. And I really worked and trained a lot of time”.
Kentucky law is a Senate bill83.
Source: Huffpost
