US: Minnesota approves transgender sport policy despite hate group’s ad campaign
Minnesota’s high school sports body has passed a transgender-friendly policy, despite a campaign against it.
The new policy allows trans people to play on the gendered team that they self-identify as, instead of the one they are assigned to.
The ‘Minnesota Child Protection League’ – run by the head of the Parents Action League, listed by the Southern Poverty Law Centre as an active anti-gay hate group – ran ads in September claiming the inclusive policy would lead to sexual assaults in the shower.
The Minnesota Star-Tribune carried another full-page ad from the hate group this week featuring a girl in sports uniform – warning: “The end of girls’ sports?
“Her dreams of a scholarship shattered, your 14-year-old daughter just lost her position on an all-girl team to a male… and now she may have to shower with him. Are you willing to let that happen?”
It also encouraged people to contact the head of the Minnesota State High School League and express outrage at the plans.
Despite the protests, the policy was overwhelmingly passed today – making Minnesota the 33rd state to adopt a formal transgender sport policy.
18 of the 20 board members voted in favour of the proposal, one voted no, and one abstained.
Emmett Keenan of St Cloud Cathedral – the only person to vote against the proposal – complained: “I’m not sure we’ve heard enough yet about the safety of girls in relationship to a transgender male-to-female playing on girls’ sports teams.”
