What to know about transgender bills passed in Wisconsin Assembly that Gov. Evers has said he would veto
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The Wisconsin Assembly passed three bills on Thursday that would ban gender-transition medical treatment for minors and bar transgender girls and women from competing on high school and college women's sports teams.
The legislation is similar to other laws that have been passed in recent years and was passed along party lines, with Republicans voting to pass the bills and all Democrats opposing the measures. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has promised to veto the bills if they make it to his desk.
Here's what you need to know.
What do the transgender bills say?
There are three bills being debated now. If passed into law, one would ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls sports. Another would bar transgender students from participating in women's sports and a third would ban doctors from performing gender-transition treatment on minors in Wisconsin.
Did the transgender bills pass?
Wisconsin state Assembly members approved the bills, with all Democrats voting against and all Republicans voting for except for Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, who was absent but said he would have joined Republicans in supporting the measures if he had been present.
Where do the bills go from here?
The bills now head to the state Senate for a vote. If passed, they go to Evers who has said he would veto the bills if they arrived on his desk.
Two of the three bills passed the Assembly in 2021 on party line votes, but the full Senate never voted on the measures.
Have other states enacted or tried to enact similar laws?
According to ESPN, at least 18 states have passed legislation that restricts transgender girls participation in sports. Another fives states have passed legislation restricting transgender boys and girls participation in sports. There are 28 states, including Wisconsin, that have no laws restricting transgender athlete participation.
According to Human Rights Campaign, at least 22 states have enacted or are trying to enact restrictions on gender-affirming care for people under the age of 18.
What do experts say about transgender people and athletes?
Experts say that receiving gender-affirming care — the social, psychological and medical support that people receive when their gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth — is crucial in supporting mental health for transgender people.
Jamie Lynn Crofts, policy director for Wisconsin Voices, said that playing sports helps everyone feel more connected, something even more important for trans children who often experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
“Vulnerable and marginalized children are exactly the same people our schools, communities and lawmakers seek to protect, instead of being singled out by more harassment or discrimination,” she said. “Who could possibly benefit more from that feeling of belonging? Trans youth who play sports have lower rates of depression and anxiety and higher rates of love and acceptance.”
Why are people arguing transgender athletes should not compete in sports?
Republicans in Wisconsin and around the country argue that it's unfair. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters the Assembly is pursuing the legislation because Republican lawmakers "think they're the right thing to do for Wisconsin" and suggested the opinions of medical experts will change.
At hearings on the bills last week, Republicans argued the bills would ensure competitiveness in women's sports and prevent transgender individuals from regretting medical procedures — though reviews of research find regretting a gender transition is uncommon.
"We're not here to traumatize anyone. We're here to create space for everyone," said Republican Rep. Barbara Dittrich of Oconomowoc, an author of the bills, at a public hearing for the bills last week. "Having worked all those years as a female athlete to get to your top spot, and you're unseated by a biological male, there's trauma involved with that, too."
Democrats have pushed back on that claim, stating that allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports that match their gender fosters acceptance and belonging.
"The fact that legislators are creating an environment that pushes specific groups of children out of existence and sports teams in service to a political agenda is objectively terrible, it's discriminatory and it's cruel," said Rep. Lee Snodgrass, D-Appleton.
What has been the response to the transgender bills?
A week before the bill was passed on Thursday, hearings on the bills drew heated testimony from both opponents and supporters. Hundreds of people were in attendance.
How many transgender athletes are competing in the WIAA right now?
At the public hearing for the bills last week, Democrats pointed to the fact that the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association has said that there are only about a half dozen transgender girls participating in sports. They also brought up concerns that the bans could put schools out of line with proposed Title IX changes.
How could the transgender bills impact NCAA sports in Wisconsin?
UW-Madison officials previously warned that the university's teams would be out of compliance with NCAA policies if the legislation is enacted. The NCAA has previously pulled postseason tournaments and championships from states with anti-transgender laws.
Does the WIAA currently have a transgender policy?
Yes. You can find the full policy on the WIAA website.
Did the bill about restricting gender-affirming care for transgender kids under 18 pass as well?
The bill passed in the state assembly on Thursday would bar doctors from providing gender-transition treatment for minors.
Champions of these bills say that young children are getting gender-affirming surgeries and that children's access to puberty blockers and hormones is too easy.
But advocates for transgender people say there is a lot of misinformation driving these bills. Here is more information about transgender people and the process trans youth and their families go through in Wisconsin to get gender-affirming medical care.
Laura Schulte, Jessie Opoien, Hope Karnopp, Molly Beck and Tyler Katzenberger contributed to this report.
Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or 262-289-1324.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about transgender bills that passed Wisconsin Assembly
