Republicans in the Kansas legislature have voted to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto on a bill barring biological men from female sports.
House Bill 2238, which takes effect July 1, bars biological men from competing on women’s student athletic teams. Kelly vetoed the bill on March 17 after it passed the Senate 28-11. The House voted to override the veto 84-40, and the Senate voted to override it 28-12 on Wednesday. (RELATED: ‘You’re Doing Drag Honey’: Gov’t-Funded ‘Junior Drag Camp’ Offers Drag Makeup Kits To Children As Young As 7)
“The Fairness in Women’s Sports act protects the rights of female athletes in the state by requiring that female student athletic teams only include members who are biologically female. House Republicans are united in our commitment to defending the intention of Title IX,” Republicans said in a statement following the vote. “We proudly stand with the female athletes across Kansas in their pursuit of athletic awards, opportunities, and scholarships and believe they deserve every chance at success afforded to their male counterparts.”
Kelly claimed the bill was about “politics” and would “harm the mental health of our students.”
Female sports are protected from male competitors in 40% of U.S. States, Newsweek reports.
In Kansas, we believe in science. We believe women are born women. We will never waiver in our fight to stand up for biological women in sports and never accept men competing in women’s sports.
And for the record, we drink Coors.https://t.co/ftDof0TP8O
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) April 5, 2023
Lia Thomas, born William Thomas, broke multiple records as a University of Pennsylvania swimmer on the women’s team, but ranked only 462nd when on the men’s team. Thomas’ victories sparked massive backlash, especially from his female teammates and competitors.
“Obviously I know how I felt and I knew how my teammates felt, but no one really wanted to talk about it,” Riley Gaines, who competed against Thomas, said. “And so, this was on day one, and then that night we watched Lia Thomas win a national title and blow all the other females completely out of the water. And that next day we came back and the mood had shifted to where people were mad, the girls, you know, there were tears.”