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President Mark Emmert expressed concern about the state legislature’s efforts to ban transgender young people from participating in public school sports.
NCAA President Mark A. Emmert expressed concern about national legislature Measures in several state legislatures to ban transgender youth from participating in public school sports, while reaffirming the NCAA’s commitment to hosting championship games in « non-discrimination » locations.
« The NCAA is concerned about the numerous bills tabled in our country related to participation in sport, » Emmert said in a letter to the president of the human rights campaign, Alphonso David, on Thursday. « As we have noted in situations like Idaho’s House Bill 500 and the ensuing law, this legislation is detrimental to transgender student athletes and contradicts the core values of the NCAA: inclusivity, respect and equal treatment for all. » The NCAA Board of Governors’ guidelines require championship venues to demonstrate how they create a safe, healthy, and non-discriminatory environment. The Board Policy also requires that safety precautions be taken to ensure the dignity of everyone involved in the event. »
« The NCAA continues to closely monitor and evaluate state bills and federal guidelines that affect athlete participation, » Emmert said.
In 2016, the NCAA Board of Governors directed the association to reschedule seven previously awarded championship events in North Carolina under the Privacy and Security of Public Facilities Act. This law removed existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people and forced transgender students in public schools to use toilets and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity was passed into law.
The NCAA has consistently taken the firm position that the Association « will not hesitate to take the necessary action at any time » if participating States fail to meet the Association’s « expectations of a non-discriminatory environment ».
Recently, Alabama House passed a law banning transgender athletes from playing in school athletics in public K-12 schools. Alabama is one of 20 states that this year introduced similar bans on transgender athletes in public school sports.
On Easter Sunday, the women’s national basketball championship of the NCAA Division I 2021 will be held in Texas, a state in which, according to Freedom for All Americans, six bills to prevent transgender athletes in school sports are currently included in state law are included. Texas has the second largest population of transgender citizens in the country.
In a statement Friday, HRC President Alphonso David said these bills are designed to « deny the existence of transgender people » and preserve a stigma that is an epidemic that triggers violence against the transgender community:
« This stigma has a direct impact on NCAA athletes. As highlighted in a recent article that outlined the steps the NCAA had to take to protect the safety of one of their transgender athletes, including hiring bodyguards. It must be repeated: this is a moment of crisis. HRC stands ready to support the work of the NCAA to ensure we continue to promote diversity, inclusion and justice. »
In October 2020, the Birmingham Legacy Area was selected to host the Division I NCAA Men’s 2023 Tournament and Division I Women’s Basketball 2025 of the South Region. Emmert didn’t directly mention House Bill 391, the proposed ban on transgender athletes in public school sports in Alabama, in his letter to HRC, but the legislation is similar to the Idaho bill he raised concerns about. It remains unclear how the proposed ban will affect choices.
John is a student assistant studying Communication and French at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. You can contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter.
HB1 would prevent transgender teenagers from accessing the medical treatment Jessica Fuller says saved their lives.
» The house wasted a day on bills that served the politicians and didn’t address a single real problem in this state. «
Republican MP Joe Lovvorn expressed concern that the bill, if it becomes law, could lead to more suicides among teenagers.
The bill would ban puberty blocking and hormone treatment in minors, although doctors warn that such a ban could endanger children’s lives.
Ref: https://www.alreporter.com
