South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a Republican, signed a bill Thursday banning transgender women and girls from playing in sports leagues that align with their gender identity.
South Dakota became the 10th state to pass such a law. Those in favor of transgender people competing in alignment with their gender identity condemned the passage of the state’s bill, stating that enacting such laws harms transgender people’s ability to have the same opportunities as cisgender people. Those in support of the new law argue that they are protecting fairness in women’s sports.
Noem, who shied away from signing a similar bill last year, lobbied vigorously to sign and bring forth the law in the state in 2022.