Today Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made the announcement that Florida has banned transgender females from playing on public school teams intended for student-athletes born as girls.
In his statement, he said:
“In Florida, girls are going to play girls sports and boys are going to play boys sports. We’re going to make sure that that’s the reality.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law at a private Christian academy in Jacksonville. It was immediately condemned by Democrats as well as LGBTQ activists as unconstitutional.
“This is yet another hate-driven attack from the governor and Republican legislators, and it’s insulting that they’ve staged this morning’s photo-op on the first day of Pride Month. At the end of the day, transgender kids are just kids.” Florida state Senator Shevrin Jones
What made the bill even worse was that it was signed on the first day of Gay Pride Month.
Is it discriminatory?
Desantis said, "we believe that it is very important that the integrity of these competitions are preserved. We're gonna go based on biology, not based on ideology when we're doing sports."
Florida's law defines an athlete's sex as that stated on official documents at birth. The act known as the Fairness in Women's Sports Act says sports teams for girls and women "may not be open to students of the male sex".
One of the first to call out the act was Florida state representative Carlos Smith. Smith is a Democrat who identifies as gay, called the bill appalling.
"This fuels transphobia and puts vulnerable kids at risk for no good reason," Carlos Smith via Twitter
Comments on his tweet were spread between support of the new bill and agreeing with Smith that it was discriminatory.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a group that defends LGBT rights, immediately posted that it would challenge the law in court. The President of the group, Alphonso David, said, "Gov DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are legislating based on a false, discriminatory premise that puts the safety and well-being of transgender children on the line."
"Gov DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are legislating based on a false, discriminatory premise that puts the safety and well-being of transgender children on the line," the president of the group, Alphonso David, said.
This new bill may serve to increase discrimination against the transgender community. Transgender people already face discrimination and violence throughout society. According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey:
- Nearly half (46%) of respondents were verbally harassed in the past year because of being transgender.
- Nearly one in ten (9%) respondents were physically attacked in the past year because of being transgender.
- Nearly half (47%) of respondents were sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime
. President Biden is making an effort to restore civil rights protections for L.G.B.T.Q. people that former President Trump eliminated.
In his first address to a joint session of Congress in April, President Biden pledged his support for the Equality Act.
“To all transgender Americans watching at home, especially the young people: You’re so brave. I want you to know your president has your back.” President Joe Biden
It seems that while Biden may have their back, Governor Desantis may not. Readers from Florida, which stance do you agree with- President Biden or Govern Desantis?