Oklahoma State Capitol. (Photo by Jimmy Emerson, from Flickr)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) | The Republican-led Oklahoma House passed a bill April 19 to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
The House voted 73-19 for the bill, mostly along party lines. The measure now heads to the GOP-controlled Senate, which failed to consider a similar bill introduced earlier this session.
Oklahoma is one of more than a dozen states where lawmakers are proposing restrictions this year on athletics or gender-confirming health care for transgender minors.
Opponents raised concerns the bill could lead to the NCAA pulling some championship games from Oklahoma. The Women’s College Softball World Series is held in Oklahoma City and generates more than $20 million for the city each year.
In a statement last week, the NCAA Board of Governors said it “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports” and suggested the possibility of events being moved.
“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected,” the statement said.
