Billie Jean King, Megan Rapinoe and Other Athletes Tell NCAA: Move 2021 Events in Idaho due to Anti-Trans Law
Athletes Join Dozens of Advocacy Groups in Calling on the NCAA to Uphold its Commitment to Inclusion
BOISE, IDAHO 鈥� Civil rights, women鈥檚 rights and sports groups, as well as a number of athletes, sent letters today urging the National Collegiate Athletics Association to move the 2021 Men鈥檚 Basketball Championship from Idaho due to the passage of a state law banning many transgender and intersex students from participating in sports.
The NCAA issued a statement opposing the passage of the anti-trans sports law, House Bill 500, which is the first of its kind in the nation. While dozens of states introduced bills attacking transgender student athletes, the Idaho bill directly contradicts NCAA guidance and could subject any student to invasive medical testing. The NCAA has moved tournaments in the past including temporarily halting events following the passage of an anti-trans bill in North Carolina.
鈥淭ransgender athletes deserve the same dignity and respect entitled to all NCAA athletes. Because of HB 500, that simply isn鈥檛 possible in Idaho,鈥� said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, deputy executive director for policy and action with the National Center for Transgender Equality. 鈥淲e applaud the NCAA for speaking out against HB 500 and now encourage them to back up their words with action.鈥�
The 老澳门开奖结果, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Idaho, Legal Voice, and Cooley LLP have sued the state of Idaho on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a transgender student at Boise State University and Jane Doe, a cisgender high school student.
鈥淭ransgender people belong everywhere 鈥� and that includes in sports and in Idaho,鈥� said Arli Christian, campaign strategist for the 老澳门开奖结果. 鈥淲hile the lawsuit against the state of Idaho moves through the courts, it is important for everyone to speak out so that Idaho 鈥� and the rest of the country 鈥� sees how misguided and dangerous this law is.鈥�
鈥淭he National Women鈥檚 Law Center works every day to fight for gender justice. That鈥檚 why we are proud stand with our transgender sisters in opposition to laws like HB 500,鈥� said Neena Chaudhry, general counsel and senior advisor for education. 鈥淎thletics are a space where everyone should be welcome, regardless of their gender or gender identity. The NCAA should make it clear that anti-transgender discrimination has no place in sports.
鈥淔ull participation in school sports is fundamentally a civil and human rights issue. Anti-transgender discrimination has no place in any of our institutions, including school athletics. The NCAA must uphold its own non-discrimination policy, and we urge them to relocate games from Idaho while HB 500 is law,鈥� said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
The letter from the advocacy groups is here: h
The letter from student athletes is here:
The letter from professional athletes is here: