Utah Comes for Trans Students in Sports

Utah lawmakers are currently backing a bill proposal that would make transgender children undergo hormone therapy and change their birth certifications to match their sex in order to compete in school sports. Otherwise, they won’t be qualified.

This revised bill stemmed from the earlier proposed bill that was intent on barring transgender girls from competing in female sports altogether.

The bill’s sponsor, Representative Kera Birkeland reports to the committee, “After months of working together and addressing the concerns of parents and coaches, I believe we have a policy that is fair, balanced and will accomplish the goal of preserving women’s sports.”

The bill proposal drafted by Birkeland states: “Female student means a student with a sex designation of female on the student’s birth certificate.”

In section 2 of the bill, it states: “(a) a student may compete in a gender-designated interscholastic athletic activity that matches the sex designation on the student’s current birth certificate; and
(b) a student may not compete in a gender-designated interscholastic athletic activity that does not match the sex designation on the student’s current birth certificate.”

The drafted bill further requires that transgender students that wish to “amend” their sex from male to female must undergo hormone therapy for one full year:

“(2) (a) (i) A student who amends the sex designation on the student’s birth certificate under Section 26-2-11 from male to female may not participate in a female-designated interscholastic athletic activity using the amended birth certificate until the student has completed one year of hormone treatment related to the gender transition.”

The draft clarifies that transgender male students (birthed-assigned as female and then corrected to male) that are on hormones are not permitted to participate in girl sports but can however participate within the boys sports.

“A female student who is on testosterone therapy as part of a transition from female to male: (i) may not compete in a female-designated interscholastic athletic activity; and (ii) may compete in a male-designated interscholastic athletic activity.”

Sue Robbins, the chair of transgender advisory council for equality in Utah, believes that this bill poses as “great progress,” as Birkelands proposal offers a reasonable solution for transgender students who wish to participate in sports and a solid guideline for schools within Utah to follow and uphold.

“The transgender community, to me, has become a lightning rod, and I think we all see that in every area. We’re having to play defense,” she said. “The efforts, in some cases, are spinning in multiple directions.”

Governor Cox previously rejected the original bill that was presented to him.

“These kids are—they’re just trying to stay alive,” he says. “There’s a reason none of them are playing sports. I just think there’s a better way. And I hope that there will be enough grace in our state to find a better solution.”

Yet, Cox attempted to appease both sides by saying, “people on both sides of the issue are right, there are biological advantages with your birth gender. Those are biological facts, and nobody disputes that at all. It is also a fact that women’s sports have had a disadvantage for many, many years. We’ve gotten better but we still have a way to go.”

Cox is correct; we have gotten better but we still have a way to go. The bill doesn’t mention the safety and full protection of the transgender student while participating within the sports. Rather the bill provides a list of regulations that the transgender students must obey, and still no mention of their humanity is offered.