AMENDMENTS.
PROTECTING THE WOMEN IN SPORTS
ACT IS BEING INTRODUCED IN
WISCONSIN.
STATEHOUSES ACROSS THE NATION
ARE LOOKING TO PASS SIMILAR
LEGISLATION.
THE AIM?
TO PREVENT TRANSGENDER ATHLETES
FROM PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS
BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS UNFAIR
COMPETITION.
THE PROPOSAL'S AUTHOR, BARBARA
DITTRICH OF OCONOMOWOC WAS
SCHEDULED TO JOIN US TO TONIGHT.
IT WOULD ADD WISCONSIN TO A
GROWING LIST OF STATES THAT ARE
PURSUING SUCH LAWS AS AN EFFORT
TO PUSH BACK ON RECENT GAINS IN
PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER
INDIVIDUALS, ACCORDING TO A
JOINT STATEMENT FROM TWO
WISCONSIN LBGT Q ADVOCACY
GROUPS.
MEGIN MCDONELL IS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF FAIR WISCONSIN, A
GROUP WORKING FOR THE CAUSE OF
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND
TRANSGENDER EQUALITY.
SHE'S IN MADISON.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID HE WILL
VETO IN LEGISLATION IF PASSED.
BUT AS REPRESENTATIVE DITTRICH
WORKS TO GATHER COSPONSORS,
GOVERNOR EVERS SENT A MESSAGE TO
TRANSGENDER STUDENTS SAYING THEY
ARE WELCOME, WANTED AND THEY
BELONG.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU THINK THIS
KIND OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION
SENDS?
>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONE
THING THAT THIS LEGISLATION DOES
DO IS SEND AN INCREDIBLY
NEGATIVE MESSAGE TO TRANSGENDER
YOUTH IN WISCONSIN THAT THEY'RE
NOT VALUED, THEY'RE NOT WELCOME
AND THEY DON'T BELONG.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH
APPLAUD THE GOVERNOR FOR TAKING
A VOCAL POSITION LIKE THAT TO
SEND THAT MESSAGE OF WELCOME AND
SUPPORT TO OUR YOUTH.
SO THAT'S VERY APPRECIATED.
>> THE PARTICULARS OF THE
LEGISLATION INCLUDE BANNING
TRANSGENDER ATHLETES FROM
PARTICIPATING IN GIRLS AND
WOMEN'S SUPPORTS FROM
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH COLLEGE.
THE CDC DATA SAYS UNDER 2% OF
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS
TRANSGENDER AND THE WIAA SAYS
THEY HAVE HAD NO COMPLAINTS.
WHAT IS THEN GOING ON WITH THIS
PROPOSAL?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T
REALLY SPECULATE AS TO THEIR
MOTIVATION.
I KNOW THAT REPRESENTATIVE DYT
TRYCH
MENTIONED THINGS.
THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE I DON'T
HAVE THE NUMBERS RIGHT IN FRONT
OF ME, BUT SOMETHING LIKE 45
ATHLETE BANS IN ABOUT 20
DIFFERENT STATES RIGHT NOW AND
THERE'S OVER 100 ANTILBGT Q
BILLS IN GENERAL.
I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THE
GAINS WE'VE MADE AS A COMMUNITY
AND AS A MOVEMENT EVIDENCED BY
THINGS LIKE THE PROGRESS THE
EQUALITY ACT IS MAKING, THE
VOCAL AND VISIBLE SUPPORT THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE ON DAY ONE
THROUGH SOME OF HIS EXECUTIVE
ORDERS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE --
AT LEAST SOME OF THE FACTORS
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS FLOOD OF
ANTI-LBGT Q AND TRANSGENDER
ACTION THAT'S WE'RE SEEING
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
>> AND SPECIFIC TO THE ONE HERE
IN WISCONSIN, THE OTHER THING
THAT IT WOULD DO IS CREATE THREE
TYPES OF TEAMS: BOYS, GIRLS AND
CO-ED, ALLOWING TRANSGENDER
ATHLETES TO GO INTO THAT CO-ED
SQUAD.
IS THAT DISCRIMINATION IN YOUR
MIND IN ITSELF?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, IT DOES -- YOU KNOW,
HERE'S THE THING.
TRANSGENDER KIDS WANT THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY SPORTS FOR
THE SAME REASON AS OTHER KIDS
DO, TO BE PART OF A TEAM WHERE
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG.
AND THIS DOES ESSENTIALLY
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THOSE KIDS.
IT MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE A
GIRLS TEAM AND A BOYS TEAM AND
THEN A TEAM FOR TRANSGENDER
KIDS.
AND WE JUST WANT TO HELP PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THAT TRANSGIRLS ARE
GIRLS.
TRANSBOYS ARE BOYS.
AND WHEN WE DO THINGS TO LIMIT
PARTICIPATION OF TRANSGIRLS IN
PARTICULAR IN GIRLS' SPORTS, WE
ARE HURTING ALL GIRLS IN SPORTS
AND ATHLETICS.
>> SINCE 2013 THE WIAA HAS
REQUIRED THAT MALE STUDENTS
TRANSITIONING TO FEMALE MUST
HAVE ONE CALENDAR YEAR OF
DOCUMENTED TESTOSTERONE
SUPPRESSION TREATMENT TO BE
ELIGIBLE TO PLAY ON A FEMALE
TEAM.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
REQUIREMENT?
>> WELL, SO THAT REQUIREMENT,
YOU KNOW, RIGHT, HAS BEEN IN
PLACE FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND IT
REALLY DOES MAKE IT -- ALREADY
THAT POLICY MAKES IT PRETTY
DIFFICULT FOR TRANSGIRLS IN
PARTICULAR TO BE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN GIRLS ATHLETICS
AND SPORTS.
SO IT HAS THAT EFFECT OF
EXCLUDING.
AND NOT ALL KIDS HAVE THE --
HAVE ACCESS TO VARIOUS MEDICAL
INTERVENTIONS THAT THAT POLICY
REQUIRES.
BUT EVEN WHEN THEY DO HAVE
ACCESS TO THAT, WHETHER OR NOT
THEY CHOOSE THOSE INTERVENTIONS,
THEY ARE TAKING PLACE UNDER THE
CARE OF A PHYSICIAN.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING ABOUT
THESE BILLS, IS THAT THE WIAA
POLICY ALREADY MAKES IT PRETTY
DIFFICULT FOR TRANSKIDS TO FULLY
PARTICIPATE IN ORGANIZED SPORTS
IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
SO REALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY
ALL THIS BILL REALLY
ACCOMPLISHES IS SENDING THAT
NEGATIVE MESSAGE OF EXCLUSION TO
OUR YOUTH.
>> TITLE IX PROTECTS FROM FROM
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEX IN
SPORTS.
REPRESENTATIVE SAYS THAT IT
PROTECTS ALL BIOLOGICAL FEMALES
FROM BEING REQUIRED TO COMPETE
AGAINST MALES.
IS THAT WHAT TITLE IX SAYS?
>> TITLE IX'S BEEN A CORNERSTONE
OF ADVANCING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT IT'S
IMPORTANT TO DEFEND AND PRESERVE
THE IMPACT OF TITLE IX.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT ENSURING
FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
LBGT Q YOUTH, ESPECIALLY
TRANSGENDER, DOESN'T UNDERMINE
THOSE PROTECTIONS.
LIKE WE SHOULD REMEMBER WHAT
TITLE IX IS ALL ABOUT, MAKING
SURE THAT ALL GIRLS, INCLUDING
GIRLS WHO ARE TRANSGENDER, HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE
IN SPORTS.
AND KIDS LEARN A LOT OF
IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS IN
SUPPORTS: LEADERSHIP,
CONFIDENCE, SELF-RESPECT, WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE PART OF A TEAM.
SO LOCAL SCHOOLS AROUND THE
COUNTRY, THERE ARE ABOUT A DOZEN
STATES THAT HAVE POSITIVE,
PROACTIVE POLICIES THAT HELP
TRANSKIDS PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS.
MINNESOTA, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR
NEIGHBORING STATE.
AND THOSE POLICIES ARE WORKING.
SO WE CAN CELEBRATE GIRLS'
SPORTS AND PROTECT TRANSYOUTH
FROM DISCRIMINATION AND MAKE
SURE ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE
ABILITY TO ACCESS THESE
OPPORTUNITIES AND THE LIFELONG
BENEFITS THAT ORGANIZED
ATHLETICS CAN PROVIDE TO YOUNG
PEOPLE.
>> WE STARTED BY TALKING ABOUT
MESSAGES.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO
TRANSGENDER YOUTH IN THE MIDST
OF ALL OF THIS?
>> WELL, THE GOVERNOR SAID IT
REALLY WELL IN HIS TWEET, THAT
WE ALL -- WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE AND
ECHO THAT.
AND I MEAN I'M JUST HERE TODAY.
I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING OF THE YOUNG
PEOPLE IN GENERAL.
I HAVE TWO TEENAGERS MYSELF.
ONCE IS TRANS TEENAGER IN HIGH
SCHOOL.
BILLS LIKE THESE ARE REALLY
HARMFUL.
THEY DON'T ACHIEVE WHAT THEIR
GOALS ARE SUPPOSEDLY ACHIEVING.
AND, AGAIN, THE ONE THING THAT
IS CLEAR THAT THEY DO DO IS SEND
THOSE NEGATIVE, HARMFUL MESSAGES
TO YOUTH THAT ALREADY HAVE A
REALLY OFTEN DIFFICULT TIME IN
THE SCHOOLS.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOVED,
YOU'RE WELCOME AND WE SEE YOU
AND WE'RE HERE FOR ON YOU AND WE
ARE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE DOING
A LOT OF ORGANIZING IN THE WEEKS
AND MONTHS TO COME AROUND THESE
BILLS.
ALSO POSITIVE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE
ADVANCING WITH OUR FRIENDS AND
ALLIES IN THE LEGISLATURE AND
WITH OUR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS,
LIKE G-SAFE AND THE WISCONSIN
TRANSHEALTH COALITION, MANY
OTHERS OF OUR COLLEAGUES AROUND
THE STATE.
WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING VERY
HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUTH
AREN'T -- WE CAN HOPEFULLY
MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF
THESE BILLS ON OUR YOUTH AND
MAKE SOME ADVANCES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
THANKS VERY MUCH,