A discriminatory bill that would have paved the way for a ban on transgender women and girls from competing in school and college sports was trashed by the Democratic Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards. He termed the Republican-backed bill discriminatory that addressed a non-existent issue.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Deep South’s only Democratic governor would throw out this discriminatory bill and that is what he has termed it. He said that discrimination wasn’t a Louisiana value and said that the bill was searching for an issue that was not in Louisiana in the first place.
Republican lawmakers said that they were trying to protect girls and women athletes from unequal and unfair competition. They said that they were trying to preserve equality for women’s sports across educational institutions.
The proposal was by Franklinton Republican Senator Beth Mizell, second-ranking among Republicans in the Senate. It was passed with bipartisan, veto-proof margins in both the Houses, 78-19 in the House and 29-6 in the Senate.
It remains uncertain if enough lawmakers would hold to call for a special veto session to attempt to veto Governor John Bel Edwards’ rejection. Louisiana has never gone for a veto override session under its constitution enacted back in 1970. There have been similar bans in Republican-ruled states. States like Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Montana have gone in for a similar ban.
Gov. John Bel Edwards Says That Proposed Bill Discriminatory
Gov. John Bel Edwards said that the bill if passed, would have made it tough for the state’s transgender children. They are the most defenseless groups in issues related to mental health. He said that instead of dividing its citizens, we should look for ways to unite them.
Under prohibition already enacted by Louisiana High Scholl Athletic Association, student-athletes can only compete under the gender mentioned in their birth certificate unless they undergo a sex reassignment operation. Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit against the ban by West Virginia and it has got the support of the Dept. of Justice, USA. The federal government has said that the ban violates Title IX and the Constitution.
