Gov. Greg Abbott Promises to Ban Trans Athletes from Texas College Sports

In arguing for extending the transgender ban to varsity athletics, Abbott specifically cited the case of former Pennsylvania transgender swimmer Leah Thomas.

Thomas, a man, began his student career on the men’s swim team at UPenn, where he achieved nothing but mediocrity. However, after he began to identify as a woman and compete on the women’s team, he rose to the top of the national rankings, beating Olympic and Olympic-level swimmers along the way.

“We fought for women’s rights to succeed in this world, only to have it replaced by this ideology whereby men will be able to compete with women,” Abbott said.

If successful, Texas won’t be the only state where a transgender ban will affect K-12 and college rankings. In 2021, a similar ban was introduced in Florida, which was met not only by the protest of the gender ideology community, but also by lawsuits.

Trans human rights activists react to participating in the Furies Against Fascism protest against the Let the Women Speak rally in Glasgow, February 5, 2023. (ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Abbott may expect a similar response in Texas. The governor’s statement was met with an immediate response from Equality Texas, which said the law would “reject” trans athletes.

“This type of legislation will deprive trans athletes of the opportunity to shine in sports,” the group wrote.

“This type of legislation will leave trans athletes with no way to express themselves in sports.”

— Equality in Texas (@EqualityTexas) February 13, 2023

Florida’s transgender ban has outlived its legal challenges. If the Texas ban is also successful, other states are likely to follow suit.