New Equality Map: Bans on Transgender Youth Participation in Sports

Across the country, state legislatures have introduced bills that would ban transgender youth from participating in K-12 school sports, and in some cases in college as well. This year alone, at least 30 states have introduced this type of legislation.

For more than 12 years, MAP has been tracking laws and policies impact LGBTQ people through our LGBTQ Equality Maps. MAP is now tracking these harmful laws that ban transgender kids from participating in school sports.

Earlier this month, Mississippi’s legislature prioritized and passed a law banning transgender youth from the opportunities and joy of participating in sports. And just last week, Arkansas and Tennessee passed similar prohibitions in denying transgender youth the same chances to build a sense of belonging with their peers on team sports. In South Dakota, the state legislature and governor are currently in negotiations about a similar bill. Legislatures in Montana, Arkansas, and Alabama may vote this week on this kind of bill.

These bills around the country would mean that a transgender girl, for example, would not be allowed to participate in sports her classmates. By telling transgender girls that they can’t play girls’ sports, or transgender boys that they can’t play boys’ sports, they miss out on this important childhood experience and all the lessons it teaches.

When school officials recognize that a transgender girl is a girl during the school day, but are forced then treat her as if she’s a boy when sports practice starts, it’s deeply harmful and disrupts the school’s policy of treating all kids fairly.

The bills being introduced around the country are blanket bans on transgender youth’s participation in sports, and they are as unnecessary as they are harmful, “solutions” in search of a problem.

From Hawai’i to Montana to Maine, see the range of states that have introduced bills targeting transgender youth, as shown on the map below created by our partners at Freedom for All Americans.
  • Sarah Toce

    Screenwriter & Journalist | Sarah Brusig (Toce) is an appointed member of the King County Women's Advisory Board and an elected precinct committee officer (PCO) in Burien, WA. As a healthcare worker, Sarah is represented by SEIU 1199NW. In 2010, Sarah created the online news source The Seattle Lesbian, LLC, which still receives upward of 100,000 readers per month. A recipient of McCormick's New Media Women Entrepreneur Award in 2012, Sarah was invited to the White House by President Barack Obama in 2015. That same year, GO Mag recognized Sarah as one of their Red-Hot Entrepreneurs in media.​ In 2016, the National Diversity Council honored Sarah with their LGBT Leadership Award. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) recognized Sarah's advocacy work with the Community Builder Award in 2017, the same year Curve Magazine named Sarah one of their Top Women in Media & Publishing. Sarah served a two-year term as president of the Society of Professional Journalists - Western Washington Chapter beginning in 2018 and was elected Communications Vice Chair of the King County Democrats in 2021.

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