Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed a bill last Tuesday that would have prohibited biological boys from competing in girls’ sports teams. This action comes just weeks after the bill passed in the state Senate.
The legislation required students to compete in the sports category aligned with their biological sex. This marked Evers’ latest veto on such bills.
“This legislation, along with the harmful rhetoric surrounding it, harms LGBTQ Wisconsinites’ and kids’ mental health,” Evers stated in his veto message. “It emboldens anti-LGBTQ harassment, bullying, and violence, threatening the safety and dignity of LGBTQ Wisconsinites, especially our children.”
He continued, “I will veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for LGBTQ people and kids. I will continue to keep my promise of using every power available to defend them, protect their rights, and keep them safe.”
The bill, passed in October 2023, was part of a package that also banned men in women’s collegiate sports and restricted physicians from performing sex change surgery or administering puberty blockers to minors. Despite Evers’ assurances to the transgender community, Wisconsin Republicans pushed the legislation forward.
Republican Representative Barbara Dittrich, co-author of the bill, criticized Evers in a statement. “While Governor Evers and his supporters claim this legislation is about hate and exclusion, they ignore the fact that it provides categories for every Wisconsin student while protecting the safety and fairness of girls’ sports,” she said.
Wisconsin Republicans enacted the bill with the intention of safeguarding children and girls participating in athletics throughout the state.
