Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a
Democrat, on Tuesday announced that he has vetoed a bill that sought
to prohibit transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's
sports teams.
In his veto statement, Edwards said
that “discrimination is not a Louisiana value.
“As I have said repeatedly when asked
about this bill, discrimination is not a Louisiana value, and this
bill was a solution in search of a problem that simply does not exist
in Louisiana,” Edwards said. “Even the author of the bill
acknowledged throughout the legislative session that there wasn’t a
single case where this was an issue.”
“Further, it would make life more
difficult for transgender children, who are some of the most
vulnerable Louisianans when it comes to issues of mental health. We
should be looking for more ways to unite rather than divide our
citizens. And while there is no issue to be solved by this bill, it
does present real problems in that it makes it more likely that NCAA
and professional championships, like the 2022 Final Four, would not
happen in our state. For these and for other reasons, I have vetoed
the bill,” he said.
Senate Bill 156, titled “The Fairness
in Women's Sports Act,” cleared the Senate and House with
veto-proof majorities, leaving open the possibility that the bill
could still become law.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights
(NCLR) applauded Edwards' decision to veto the bill.
“Governor Edwards deserves enormous
credit for urging Louisianans to reject the politics of division and
to focus on what brings us together, including a shared concern for
vulnerable children. As his veto message rightly notes, transgender
youth already face huge challenges,” Shannon Minter, Legal Director
for NCLR told the Washington
Blade. “Banning them from school sports would not make any
child’s life better or safer, but it would bring discredit and
economic hardship to the state, which likely would lose NCAA and
professional championships. Governor Edward’s veto message is a
model of clarity and compassion. We need more leaders with his
courage.”