The governor had time Tuesday night to settle a score with ESPN on Twitter.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a ban on transgender participation in college sports for those whose biological sex does not match with the team’s gender.
ESPN had a strange choice of words in covering the move, but Ivey was swift to offer clarity.
Let me fix that, @espn.
*Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation on Tuesday that will ban biological MEN from playing on FEMALE sports teams in college. #alpolitics https://t.co/aFda69PyyB
— Kay Ivey (@kayiveyforgov) May 31, 2023
ESPN, owned by The Walt Disney Co., chalked it up to females participating in female sports.
The mainstream view, particularly by parents, is that biological males who compete in women’s sports overshadow the achievements and efforts of cisgender women athletes, and potentially limit their opportunities for scholarships and professional recruitment.
“It’s about fairness, plain and simple,” Ivey said Tuesday.
Other states have passed laws banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports at the high school and collegiate level. After restricting transgender participation in K-12 sports last year, the extension to college athletics further secures the policy.
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270 for coverage of the 2023 legislative session.
