A judge in the Southern District of Florida dismissed a lawsuit against Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over a law that bars biological males from competing in women’s sports, according to a press release.
DeSantis signed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in June 2021, which was challenged by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX of the Education Amendments. United States District Judge Roy K. Altman, appointed by former President Donald Trump, dismissed the case Monday saying it “doesn’t violate Title IX and does not legally demean transgender persons because of their “gender identity,” according to court documents. (RELATED: Appeals Court Blocks State Law Keeping Boys Out Of Girls’ School Bathrooms)
“Having carefully reviewed the text of SB 1028, the statements of the various politicians quoted in the Complaint, and the Plaintiff’s other factual allegations, we disagree that the statute comes anywhere close to creating the sort of caste-like system the Constitution forbids—a system in which transgender girls are legally demeaned and degraded because of their gender identity,” the motion to dismiss reads.
CAMBRIDGE, MA – FEBRUARY 19: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas (C) poses on the podium after winning the 100 yard freestyle on February 19, 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
“SB 1028 doesn’t violate Title IX by treating transgender girls differently from transgender boys. Title IX’s implementing regulations include a carve-out for sex-separated sports teams,” the ruling continues.
Men competed in women’s sports in several high-profile instances over the past few years. Lia Thomas competed in NCAA women’s swimming and won several female races despite being ranked #462 as a male swimmer.
Tiffany Thomas, a male who identifies as a transgender female won an amateur female cycling event in New York City in March as a 46-year-old, defeating female athletes between the ages of 24-32. Soren Stark-Chessa in Maine switched from the boys division to the girls division for the 5k, rising from 172 in the boys division to fourth in the girls division.
Several Republican governors signed laws this year outlawing men in women’s sports. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in June that prevents men from competing against women in college sports. Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed two bills into law in April that ban male athletes from competing in female sports on both the K-12 and collegiate levels.
DeSantis did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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