JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 1028 into law Tuesday, which bans transgender girls and women from playing on female school sports teams.
The governor signed the bill, which includes the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, during a news conference at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville.
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Under the new law, a transgender student athlete would have to affirm her biological sex by supplying proof such as a birth certificate.
The measure stripped some of the most contentious elements from a proposal approved by the House earlier this year, including a provision that would have required transgender athletes in high schools and colleges to undergo testosterone or genetic testing, as well as submit to having their genitalia examined.
Appalling. First day of LGBTQ Pride Month and @GovRonDeSantis signs SB 1028 which bans trans kids from school sports. FHSAA has allowed trans kids to participate in FL since 2013 with ZERO problems. This fuels transphobia and puts vulnerable kids at risk for no good reason.
— Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) June 1, 2021
“Appalling. First day of LGBTQ Pride Month and @GovRonDeSantis signs SB 1028, which bans trans kids from school sports,” State Rep. Carlos G. Smith tweeted shortly after the bill was signed. “FHSAA has allowed trans kids to participate in FL since 2013 with ZERO problems. This fuels transphobia and puts vulnerable kids at risk for no good reason.”
Smith is Florida’s first LGBTQ Latinx legislator. He represents District 49.
DeSantis maintained his stance Tuesday that the bill protects female-born athletes from competing against individuals who are physically superior to them, which could hinder their future opportunities in the sports world.
“We believe that it’s very important that the integrity of those competitions are preserved, that these opportunities are protected, and I can tell you this, in Florida, girls are going to play girls sports and boys are going to play boy sports,” the governor said.