The Republican-controlled House of Florida has recently proposed a bill, HB 1475, which, if it is signed into law, will require some girls to undergo a genital examination to take part in the sports.
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Florida is the recent addition to the swiftly growing list of US states who are taking similar laws into account or have such laws already in function.
After an hour of in-house debate, the was passed with a 77 to 40 vote ratio. An overwhelming majority of these voters were Republicans while only one Democratic house member voted in favor of this law. According to the bill, in case a female player’s sexual identity is not confirmed, meaning is disputed, they will have to get a health inspection done.
They will also need content or statement from their health caregivers to substantiate their biological gender.
According to this bill, this check-up will become a part of routine physical checkups. It will also examine student’s testosterone levels and their reproductive anatomy. However, the bill is clearly not welcomed by many organizations including the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
As per this organization, it will pull its championships from states that bar transgenders from playing in women’s teams. According to the statement given by the organization, they will not endure any kind of discrimination unless the hosts commit to the safety and health of their participants.
It, nevertheless, seems like Republicans clearly are not on the same page. Representative Traci Koster believes that there are evident differences between men/women and transgenders on biological levels. To which Representative Anna Eskamani responded that people are taking sports as another avenue to attack trans people, especially the trans youth. She believes that just like all the normal kids, trans kids also deserve our empathy and support amidst the coronavirus crisis.
Many human rights organizations have also criticized this bill asking the authorities to revisit their proposed bill to be more inclusive towards its people.