Will NC inspect students’ genitalia under proposed transgender athlete ban? What to know
A recent bill filed by Republican lawmakers in North Carolina would prevent transgender athletes from playing on girls’ high school sports teams.
The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act says, “athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex.” The bill also states that “a student’s sex shall be recognized based solely on the student’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s current policy allows students to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
According to the text, if the bill becomes law, the State Board of Education will monitor middle and high schools for compliance with the law. If the board finds a violation, it will report the school to the joint Legislative Oversight Committee.
As of now, the authors of the bill haven’t explained how it will determine whether a student-athlete is transgender.
Will the state recommend inspection of an athlete’s genitalia?
The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act does not mention genital inspections.
While North Carolina has no language regarding genitalia inspections, similar bills in other states have included such requirements.
A bill in Ohio last year contained a “genital inspection” requirement that was later removed following public opposition. A similar provision was removed from a Florida bill in 2021.
North Carolina High School Athletic Association Commissioner Que Tucker, who is aware of similar bills passed in other states, said she “hopes the state never resorts to that type of invasion of privacy in education-based athletics.”
How many transgender athletes play amateur sports in NC?
Since the policy allowing athletes to participate on sports teams according to their gender identities went into effect during the 2019-20 school year, NCHSAA has received 17 waiver requests from students, according to Tucker. Of those, transgender females submitted three, and one was denied.
For comparison, Tucker said that 180,255 athletes in North Carolina participated in high school sports during the 2021-22 school year.
“People are thinking that we have a major issue, and we really do not,” said Tucker. “People are probably thinking that we just have all of these born males playing female sports, but that really isn’t the case in North Carolina.”
Tucker also pointed out that NCHSAA has not tracked how many transgender athletes have participated on high school sports teams.
“Just because someone sends in a request, doesn’t mean they actually went forward with trying to play,” Tucker said.
Though the proposed bill has garnered support from conservative lawmakers, Tucker credits NCHSAA board members for adopting a policy that does not discriminate against students based on gender identity.
“We want to be an inclusive organization,” Tucker said. “We want to include any child that goes through the front door of our member schools when it comes to having an opportunity to play education-based athletics.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2023 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Will NC inspect students’ genitalia under proposed transgender athlete ban? What to know."
