The Alaska state board of education has voted to ban transgender girls from participating in high school girls’ athletic teams. The board met in a special session and approved the regulation with a 7-1 vote. The regulation states that if a separate athletics team is established for female students, only those who were assigned female at birth can participate.
The only dissenting vote came from Felix Myers, the high school representative on the board, while the military advisor abstained from voting. However, the decision is still pending review and final approval by the state’s attorney general’s office.
This matter was initially taken up by the board in July but the vote was delayed after hearing hours of testimony and receiving numerous written comments. The board did not allow public comments during the latest meeting. Member Lorri Van Diest mentioned that the earlier comments were fairly evenly split until a conservative family advocacy group submitted a petition and comments after the deadline, which gave an advantage to the ban’s proponents.
The governor of Alaska, Mike Dunleavy, has previously expressed support for this regulation, stating that it is necessary to ensure fairness in girls’ sports. However, the state government administration did not provide a recommendation on whether the proposal should pass.
It’s worth noting that at least 22 other states in the US have similar laws in place, preventing transgender girls from participating in girls’ teams in K-12 schools. Some of these laws also apply to transgender boys and college athletics. However, the proposal in Alaska is not connected to legislation, as similar proposals in the state Legislature have failed in the past.
Last year, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough district just north of Anchorage adopted a policy preventing transgender girls from competing on girls sports teams.
Overall, this decision by the Alaska Board of Education adds to the ongoing debate surrounding transgender rights and inclusion in sports.
[Focus keyword: Alaska Board of Education, transgender girls, high school girls sports]
