South Carolina becomes latest Republican state to ban biological males from participating in women's sports

South Carolina’s Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill on Monday effectively banning biological males from participating in women’s sports in the Palmetto State.  

According to the legislation, the Save Women’s Sports Act will help “ensure that fair opportunities are preserved for all children to compete in sports” based on “a student's biological sex on the student's official birth certificate.”

“Athletic teams or sports designated for males, men, or boys shall not be open to students of the female sex, unless no team designated for females in that sport is offered at the school in which the student is enrolled,” the bill reads. “Athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to students of the male sex.”

The legislation – which has also been passed in Idaho, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, West Virginia, Montana, Alabama, Florida, Texas, South Dakota, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah, and Kentucky – was met with overwhelming support in the South Carolina General Assembly and ultimately passed in the Senate by 30-10 and in the House by 70-33, NPR reported.

Conservative pundits have also come out in support of the bill, and Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project released a statement on Tuesday lauding South Carolina “for taking action to protect a fair playing field for girl athletes.”

“With 16 states now having taken this step, there is no excuse left for those states that haven’t, particularly those led by Republicans. This is now a litmus-test issue for the GOP, and voters will be paying attention to what their leaders either do or fail to do as we approach the midterms,” he added.

Opponents have also been quick to respond to the bill and the South Carolina United for Justice and Equality went as far as calling the bill “anti-trans.”

“It pains us to see lawmakers ignore thousands in SC — including parents, medical providers, faith leaders & trans people — who worked to #SupportTransYouthSC and reject this dangerous bill,” the group tweeted on Tuesday.