Media Contact

Candace Coleman, ccoleman@aclu-ms.org

March 3, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JACKSON, Miss. - Wednesday afternoon, the Mississippi House passed an anti-transgender bill, SB 2536. This bill prevents transgender student-athletes from participating in sports as the gender in which they identify.

ACLU of Mississippi Executive Director Jarvis Dortch had the following to say in response: 

Not only is the passing of SB 2536 disheartening, it's frustrating.

It's frustrating that Representative Becky Currie was able to stand before her colleagues today and lie about how this discriminatory bill could affect Mississippi. SB 2536 is modeled after an Idaho bill which Currie claimed did not come with consequences. The truth is the Idaho bill was immediately suspended by a federal court. In its ruling granting the injunction, the court concluded that the law was based on nothing more than discrimination against trans people. 

Currie also claimed the NCAA has no stance on legislation such as SB 2536. The truth is the NCAA came out against the Idaho anti-trans athletics bill, calling it harmful to transgender student-athletes and against the NCAA's core values. The statement said such legislation will be considered in the selection of host sites for tournaments and other NCAA events.

If Governor Reeves signs this bill, Mississippi will face consequences.

As we've been saying all along, SB 2536 aims to solve a problem that does not exist. Transgender people of all ages have been participating in sports consistent with their gender at all levels for years, and no dominance by trans athletes has been observed or documented. ​

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