WIAA bans transgender athletes from girls athletic competitions...

[Jessica_Rose]

WIAA bans transgender athletes from girls athletic competitions, citing Trump directive

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/wiaa-bans-transgender-athletes-from-girls-athletic-competitions-citing-trump-directive/ar-AA1znFXe?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=f6c128d96cdd4968bce55a477b07db56&ei=133

Story by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (19 Feb 2025)

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, which oversees most of the state's high-school athletics programs, announced Wednesday that it had updated its policies and only athletes "designated as females at birth" would be allowed to compete in girls competitions.

"Today the WIAA Board of Control voted to update the organization's policy regarding student-athlete eligibility – affirming its compliance with federal directives that only students designated as females at birth will be allowed to participate in girls competitions," WIAA executive director Stephanie Hauser said in a release. "Working in consultation with legal counsel, our Board updated this policy to ensure clarity is provided to our membership as they work to comply with new federal guidance from the White House."

The WIAA policy indicates that a student whose sex is assigned male at birth may practice in a girls sport and "receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes who are otherwise eligible for practice" but the athlete may not compete in the competitions.

"This type of legislation, and the harmful rhetoric beget by pursuing it, harms LGBTQ Wisconsinites' and kids' mental health, emboldens anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, and threatens the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites, especially our LGBTQ kids," Evers said in his veto message.

A WIAA representative also told the Journal Sentinel in 2021 that he couldn't recall a transgender athlete ever competing in a state tournament...