by Alexa Schwerha
On Mar. 3, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House Bill 2416, which bars men from competing against women in sports at “all school levels.”
“The bill also requires that only female students, based on their sex, may participate in any team, sport, or athletic event designated as being for females, women, or girls,” the new legislation reads.
“This is a victory for girls’ sports in Iowa,” Reynolds said on Mar. 3, surrounded by a room of female athletes as the bill was officially enacted. “No amount of talent, training or effort can make up for the natural physical advantages males have over females. It’s simply a reality of human biology.”
As the bill calls for sports divisions to be categorized for male or co-ed athletes, no individual will be barred from competing in sports, the governor said in her statement.
“Forcing females to compete against males is the opposite of inclusivity and it’s absolutely unfair,” Reynolds elaborated.
This sentiment has been echoed by experts in college athletics.
Campus Reform spoke recently with former University of Southern California swimming coach David Salo, who has been vocally outspoken against recent decisions by the NCAA to accommodate transgender athletes.
“My position is that we need to do everything we can to protect… biological women and biological girls in sport, in particular competition and swimming,” Salo told Campus Reform.
The bill’s passage makes Iowa the eleventh state to take decisive action to protect women’s sports. Moreso, it becomes the second state to sign protection into law, following the example of South Dakota and further showing a national trend steadily picking up steam.
Governor Kristi Noem signed SB 46 into law in February. Similar to the Iowa bill, this legislation holds athletes to the standard of competing according to their biological sex.
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Montana, and Idaho have also taken actions to defend female athletics.
In Georgia, the “Save Girls’ Sports Act” was pushed through the Senate Education and Youth Committee earlier last month and is expected to head to the state’s Senate floor for debate.
Campus Reform contacted the Governor’s office for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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Alexa Schwerha is a reporter for Campus Reform. She was the Regional Field Coordinator at Leadership Institute for Texas and New Mexico. She graduated Kent State University with a degree in Communication Studies and Political Science. Prior to her work at the Leadership Institute, she worked for the Ohio Republican Party to help elect Republicans across the state during the 2020 election cycle.
