The South Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to void the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s policy on transgender participation in high school athletics. House Bill 1195 would label a persons' sex as to what it says on their birth certificate.
Democratic State Representative Paula Hawks says the South Dakota High School Activities Association created the policy for a reason, and she believes state lawmakers should trust the people who work on a daily basis with South Dakota’s student athletes. Hawks also says there’s a bigger picture to consider when discussing this bill.
"The civil right guarantees in Title IX extend to all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity," said Hawks. "The inclusion of transgender students in the guidance reflects evolving legal standards nationwide."
Representative Hawks said this bill could also effect South Dakota's education funding moving forward.
"We also need to consider the federal funding we receive for education by meeting Title IX requirements and the danger we place ourselves in by letting this legislation to pass," said Hawks. "Lawsuits have emerged in Maine and California and other places across the nation that the states are losing, due to discrimination arguments."
Proponents to the bill believe the state lawmakers should be the decision makers on a policy of this importance, because the state-legislature is responsible for the actions of the South Dakota High School Activities Association. House Bill 1195 passed the house floor 51-16 and it goes next to the Senate.
