Idaho Legislature Will Vote on Transgender Athlete Ban

Despite protests from Democratic legislators, the Idaho State House Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to send a female transgender athlete ban bill to the floor for a vote.

The bill would ban men/boys who transgender to female status from competing  in officially designated female sports. It would ban participation in a sport that they say identifies with their gender.

It would also require a battery of tests, in case of question, that would be used to determine the original gender of the athlete.

Currently, the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) and NCAA (college) does allow transgender athletes in girls sports, provided they've been on testosterone suppression drugs for at least one year. In Idaho, transgender athletes who go from girl to boy are not affected in any way.

This bill would affect any high school or college athlete competing in any Idaho public school, or for any public Idaho college or university (NCAA).

A new study published by the Journal of Medical Ethics  last year claims even with such suppression drugs and other efforts to 'change' biologically, transgender women still retain physical superiority characteristics over female-born athletes--especially late teen and  post puberty age.

The study says even with suppression drugs, these athletes can still retain up to six times the amount of testosterone found in biological females, often for years. They also, on average, have larger hearts and sturdier bones which can lead to greater athletic performance. And these biological and physiological traits also favor 'men' when it comes to recovery time-it's significantly faster.

Some pro LGBTQ advocates who testified during the Committee hearings admitted transgender women are most likely better athletes, but asked why "they couldn't have this advantage" for what are usually relatively short athletic careers. They claim transgender persons will face enough 'challenges' in life, this should be one area where they are given a 'break,' so to speak.

One female powerlifting champion testified said she would have been appalled and disappointed if she ever learned she'd competed against or lost to a transgender female, voicing her displeasure with the idea.

The vote to move the bill went down part lines, Republicans voting in favor, Democrats voting against the ban.  For more on this story, click on the button below.