— signs that there are some remaining fractures among GOP leaders over how to navigate gender’s reemergence as a culture war issue.
Given the very few transgender student-athletes playing in both states — four in Utah and none in Indiana — Cox and Holcomb say bans address a problem that is virtually nonexistent and distract from a broader conservative agenda. But lawmakers in Utah and Indiana are undeterred, arguing transgender girls can have a physical advantage.
Until two years ago, no state had passed a law regulating gender-designated youth sports. But the issue has become front-and-center in Republican-led statehouses since Idaho lawmakers passed the nation's first sports participation law in 2020. It’s now blocked in court, along with another in West Virginia.
Lawmakers are confident they'll be able to override the veto after flipping several Republicans who voted against the ban and face reelection challenges from the right in primary races decided by a smaller group of ultra conservative party members.