Ban On Trans Athletes In Girls K-12 Sports Passes Wyoming Senate

A bill that would ban athletes born as males from competing in girls K-12 sports in Wyoming has passed the Wyoming Senate and will now head to the state House.

The vote in the Senate in favor of Senate File 133 Wednesday was 28-3.

The current policy in trans athletes in Wyoming allows the competitors to appeal to the Wyoming High School Activities Association if they are banned from competition. Senate File 133 says

A student of the male sex shall not compete, and a public school shall not allow a student of the male sex to compete, with a team designated for students of the female sex in an interscholastic athletic activity.

In testimony in a committee hearing earlier this session, Schuler argued that those born as males tend to be bigger and stronger than biological females even after transitioning to being females. She says that puts those born as females at a disadvantage and is causing girl athletes in the state the change to compete fairly in girls sports in the state.

But the Wyoming ACLU, which opposes the measure, issued a statement including the following:

“Senate File 133 is not about leveling the playing field for student athletes. It’s about erasing and excluding trans people from participation in all aspects of public life,” said Antonio Serrano, ACLU of Wyoming advocacy director. “Extreme policies such as Senate File 133 are out of step with prevailing international and national norms of athletic competition."

Here is the breakdown of Wednesday's vote:
Vote recorded: 2/8/2023 10:41AM
Ayes: Anderson, Baldwin, Barlow, Biteman, Boner, Bouchard, Brennan, Cooper, Dockstader, Ellis, French, Furphy, Hicks, Hutchings, Ide, Jones, Kinskey, Kolb, Landen, Laursen, McKeown, Nethercott, Pappas, Salazar, Schuler, Scott, Steinmetz, President Driskill
Nays: Case, Gierau, Rothfuss

A similar bill, also sponsored by Sen Schuler, passed the Wyoming Senate in 2022 but died in the Wyoming House.