Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature that would have prohibited transgender high school athletes from competing on teams that align with their gender identity.
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature that would ban transgender high school athletes from competing on teams that match their gender identity. did.
Evers had promised to veto the bill since it was introduced. Democrats did not have the votes to block passage in Congress. He vetoed it at the Capitol, surrounded by Democratic lawmakers, transgender advocates and Madison's mayor.
Republicans do not have the votes needed to override the veto.
In his veto message, Evers said this type of bill would “harm the mental health of LGBTQ Wisconsinites and children, incite anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, and harm the mental health of LGBTQ Wisconsinites and children.” It threatens the safety and dignity of residents, especially LGBTQ children.”
Evers said that as long as he is governor, “radical policies that target LGBTQ individuals and their families and threaten their daily lives and ability to feel safe, valued, supported, and welcomed for who they are” I swore I wouldn't let it go.
Republican Rep. Barb Dietrich, who sponsored the bill, called Evers' veto “disgusting” and accused him of “misogynistic and hateful positions against actual women.”
“His veto today clearly demonstrates his disregard for women and girls and for protecting the fruits of their hard work,” Dietrich said in a statement.
The bill proposed restricting high school athletes from playing on teams that match their assigned gender at birth.
Republicans who supported the bill argued it was an equity issue for non-transgender athletes. But opponents of the bill argued there were no practical problems for transgender high school athletes in Wisconsin and argued that the proposed ban would be a form of discrimination and harmful to transgender youth.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association requires transgender athletes to undergo hormone therapy before playing on their desired teams. The association's policy is modeled after the NCAA's requirements for transgender athletes.
At least 20 states have approved sweeping bans on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and college sports teams across the state, but the Biden administration's proposal to prohibit such outright bans is expected to be finalized this year after repeated delays and much opposition. As proposed, the rule would establish that blanket bans violate Title IX, the landmark gender equality law of 1972.
