House Lawmakers will vote on a bill that prohibits transgender students from playing sports with the gender they identify with.
Supporters of the ban say it’s not about discrimination, but fairness. Critics say it’s just the opposite and targets the LGBTQ community in South Dakota.
One of the bill’s prime sponsors says the bill mirrors a policy in Texas that states a student's birth certificate will determine a student-athlete’s gender for participation in sports.
Republican State Representative Lee Qualm is the prime sponsor of the house bill. He says it’s unfortunate the bill is being interpreted as discriminatory.
“Everybody needs to be loved and compassion and cared for and—you know—know that they’re a valuable person,” Qualm says. “The discussion we’re having is having nothing to do with that. It’s… I don’t even know where I go from here. They are a valuable people. And we need to treat them with all the love and compassion and understanding.”
National Transgender rights groups say the bill IS discriminatory and target’s South Dakota’s trans community.
The South Dakota High School Activities Association opposes the bill. Current SDHSAA policy does take into consideration any ‘gender identity related advantages to the student if participation would be approved.’
Excecutive Director Dan Swartos recently testified that less than a handful of athletes currently compete under the policy.
A near identical bill failed in the South Dakota Senate. Spearheading the effort is Republican State Senator Jim Bolin.
He says any sports policy that deviates from relying on a birth certificate is “fundamentally flawed.”