Athletes appeal to NCAA in protest of anti-transgender laws
By ANNE M. PETERSONMarch 10, 2021 GMT
More than 500 college athletes have signed a letter to the NCAA Board of Governors asking the organization to refuse to schedule championships in states that have banned transgender participation in sports.
The move follows a wave of legislative efforts across the country aimed at transgender athletes. Idaho banned transgender women from taking part in women’s and girls’ sports last year, although that law has been challenged in court. State legislatures in North Dakota and Mississippi have recently passed similar measures.
The letter to the NCAA asks the board to uphold the organization’s nondiscrimination policy, citing the decision to move championships out of North Carolina in 2016 in response to House Bill 2, which legislated transgender use of public restrooms.