Oklahoma House OKs Ban on Transgender Girls in Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House passed a bill Wednesday to prevent transgender girls from playing on female sports teams at Oklahoma schools.

The bill passed on a 79-18 party-line vote with Republicans in support. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Civil rights groups and the gay rights organization Freedom Oklahoma have condemned the bill as political grandstanding at the expense of transgender children.

The measure is one of several being considered by the Republican-led Legislature this year that target young transgender or gay people. Other bills would prevent transgender medical treatments for young people, prohibit cities from banning so-called conversion therapy and prevent colleges and state agencies from having mandatory training related to gender and sexuality.

Other bills would prohibit transgender people from using a bathroom corresponding to their gender. A Senate panel recently passed a bill to prohibit the State Health Department from issuing birth certificates with a nonbinary gender designation.