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Since the start of the year, state legislatures from New Hampshire to Arizona have considered a flood of bills designed to curtail transgender rights, and specifically options for trans youth. They’ve called for steps from eliminating transgender students, girls mainly, from participation in high school sports, to draconian measures that would imprison health care professionals who provide gender-affirmative care.
Two of those bills sit on the desk of Idaho Gov. Brad Little at this very moment, hours before this year’s International Transgender Day of Visibility dawns.
One is House Bill 500, dubbed the “Fairness In Women’s Sports Act” introduced by former Cal-State Fullerton head women’s basketball coach-turned Idaho Republican legislator Barbara Ehardt.
If enacted, HB500 would ban transgender girls from participating high school athletics. The bill also calls for a return of gender verification in competitive sport. The International Olympic Committee ended such practices in their programs more than 20 years ago.
The other bill, House Bill 509, would ban any changes on the gender marker of a birth certificate after the first year. This is the second time conservative legislators have attempted such an action in the last three years. In 2018, a similar bill was passed, then stricken down in a U.S. District Court.
Both bills passed the Idaho Senate on March 16 just as the coronavirus crisis began to dominate the news cycle and the national discourse. Both measures also have been targets of a broad groundswell of opposition from a cross section of athletes, activists, litigators, businesses and grassroots organizations.
Multi-event athlete Chris Mosier has been vocal in his opposition and made appearances in Idaho to bolster local campaigns against the bills. Other sporting figures, including U.S. Women’s Soccer standout Ali Krieger, have lent their support to a call-in campaign to encourage people to call Gov. Little directly and lobby for a veto of both bills.
Five former Idaho state attorneys general made an immediate appeal calling for Little to veto, with a letter that was published in the Idaho Statesman the day after the State Senate vote. On March 19, representative from four major firms that are based in Idaho presented a hand-written appeal to Little, also calling for a veto.
At this point, the bills face three likely paths. Gov. Little could sign it and give tacit approval to the measures, he could veto the bill which would send it back to the legislature, which is currently adjourned, or he can do nothing which would make both bills the law of the state even without his signature.
For your information, Gov. Little’s office can be reached at 208-334-2100 or email [email protected]
This is a developing story. Bookmark this page and watch for updates whenever they happen. Tell us where you stand in the comments below.
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