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South Dakota has pushed through the first anti-transgender sports bill of 2022 in America only days after former US President Donald Trump’s election pledge.
Idaho, Montana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia are nine of the US states to have passed anti-trans sports laws since 2019.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, 50, previously enforced the ban on trans women from competing in women’s sports in schools through two executive orders.
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However, ABC News reports that Noem on Thursday signed the controversial bill into law, with South Dakota now the 10th US state to uphold the trans sports ban.
South Dakota’s law won’t come into effect until 1st July, but the state could face potential challenges over banning trans women from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity.
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“This bill has been an important priority for a lot of the people behind me,” Noem said.
She added: “We will ensure that we have fairness and a level playing field for female athletes here in the state of South Dakota, at the K-12 level and at the university level.”
South Dakota’s law, Senate Bill 46, was introduced less than two months before it arrived on Noem’s desk for signing.
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According to the bill, trans women will be prevented from playing on teams that match their gender identity both in public schools and post-secondary institutions.
And any student who has suffered “direct or indirect harm” from a trans student playing their sport will be able to take legal action against the school, organisation or educational agency.
During a rally in Texas late last month, Trump vowed to introduce a ban on trans women competing in women’s sports if he is re-elected in 2024.
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“We will ban men from participating in women’s sports,” he said.
The former US President added: “So ridiculous!”
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Trump, who was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election, also misgendered trans swimmer Lia Thomas and blasted her for breaking records in women’s swimming.
“Did you see the man who was in a swimming team that I know very well?” he said.
“The record held for like 11 years, he beat it by 38 seconds.”
Adnan Riaz