(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Association of School Boards is telling lawmakers a bill that bans transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports will put schools in a bad situation.
A House subcommittee cleared the bill Thursday after a public hearing lasting almost four hours. The lobbyists for the state school board say that will leave local schools to choose between following state law or federal guidelines that prohibit discrimination in sports based on gender identity. Two girls spoke in favor of the bill — including seventh grader Poppy Malone of Boone, a 7th grader in who wrestles and says Girls’ Wrestling just got sanctioned and “I’m not going to let males come in and ruin the sport for us.”
Similar laws have been passed in at least eight states. The legislation is expected to be considered in a full House committee next week.
