Pennsylvania gov says he’ll veto ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said Monday that he will veto a bill banning transgender athletes from playing women’s sports in the state, should it pass the state legislature.

I’ll veto this discriminatory bill if it gets to my desk. https://t.co/nnc8vOuEdH

— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) April 26, 2021

Pennsylvania’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” is one of multiple such bills advancing in states across the country over the vehement objections of advocates and health experts.

Last month, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed into law a ban on transgender girls and women participating in K-12 and collegiate level sports that align with their gender identity, following a similar move earlier this year by Mississippi.

Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David called Hutchinson’s decision “an affront not just to the transgender kids it is bound to hurt but to all Arkansans who will be impacted by its consequences” in a statement to the Associated Press at the time.

“Hutchinson is ignoring the ugly history of states that have dared to pass anti-transgender legislation in years past, and by doing so he is exposing Arkansas to economic harm, expensive taxpayer-funded legal battles, and a tarnished reputation,” David said.