Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Titled “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” North Carolina SB 631 would require student athletes to participate in the sport of their biological sex or on co-ed teams, with the State Board of Education monitoring both middle and high school sports for compliance of the law. A similar bill passed the House, HB 574.
N.C. Senator Kevin Corbin (R, 50) is a primary sponsor of the Senate bill that would apply to public, private and charter schools that are part of the NC State High School Athletic Association.
Multiple states have passes similar bills across the country and North Carolina attempted to pass similar legislation two years ago.
In a press conference held Thursday, Corbin spoke of the bill’s goals.
“It would be unfair to our students if we ignored some of the biological realities that have measurable impacts on the outcomes of sports. This bill sets out to fix those loopholes,” he said.
Corbin and his co-sponsors NC Senator Vickie Sawyer (R, 37) and NC Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R, 31) framed the bill as “common sense” and an effort to keep things fair for cis-gendered female athletes.
Sawyer went so far as to say that women’s sports were “under attack.”
Sylvia Hatch, former UNC women’s basketball coach, said transgender athletes could keep other female athletes from earning scholarships as well.
“First of all, I support trans athletes, their right to gender identify as they see fit. However competitive sport is one of the few places in our society where sex differences matter,” she said.
NC Health News reported in an article published in September 2021 fewer than 10 transgender athletes had joined NC high school teams in the past two years, according to the NCHSAA.
Currently, students who identify as a different gender than their sex at birth must file a Gender Identity Request form through NCHSAA to play on the sport that matches their gender identity. That form requires documentation from the student, family members and healthcare professionals to demonstrate consistency with their gender identity.
In a follow up interview Friday, Corbin called SB 631 simple legislation.
“We’re not specifically targeting transgender, it’s just that male athletes do not need to be playing female sports, that’s what the bill is all about,” he said.
He said his co-sponsors asked for him to help with the bill and he agreed to, thinking of his own female grandchildren.
One question that arises is how schools would implement the new requirements. Corbin suggests going by what gender is on a student athlete’s birth certificate.
Regarding language in the bill that could prevent girls from playing boys’ contact sports like football and wrestling, which they have access to under Title IV if those aren’t offered as girls’ sports, Corbin said the legislators would amend that language.
Transgender and other LGBTQ+ young people, particularly black and indigenous kids, are already at elevated risks of suicide and poor mental health. When asked if he had any concerns that the law could increase those risks for those youth, Corbin went back to the potential impact of girls playing against trans athletes.
“What about kids being impacted by a transgender person playing on their team?” he said.
In essence, he said, the law is no different from other requirements and how they pertain to competition, saying high school students can’t just decide they want to play on middle school or elementary teams.
There are several other bills that have been introduced in North Carolina that could impact trans youth, including those that would block access to healthcare for things like gender affirming care and puberty blockers. Corbin said he doesn’t have anything to do with those bills, stressing this legislation is “to protect female sports.”
In response, Equality NC said the organization was outraged and concerned about the potential mental health impact for youth.
“We are outraged to see lawmakers target our most vulnerable youth. Banning kids from playing sports because of who they are prevents them from having positive and formative experiences at school. And preventing parents from making decisions on their child’s healthcare is harmful and life-threatening,” said ENC Executive Director Kendra R. Johnson. “These bills do nothing to address the real issues facing our youth, like gun violence in schools or the mental health crisis. Instead of working to make schools safe environments, our lawmakers are bullying queer and trans kids.”
With the recent super-majority gained by NC Rep. Tricia Cotham (112) switching parties to become a Republican, the legislation has a better chance of becoming law.
It may, however, be impacted by the announcement made by the Biden Administration last Thursday that the President has proposed to include language to Title IV that would forbid bans on transgender athletes.