Mississippi’s governor is criticizing the Biden administration’s new policy on gender identity and sports, saying the new president is “pushing transgenderism” on the nation’s children.
Gov. Tate Reeves made the comments on Facebook last week in reference to a Biden executive order that prevents schools from discriminating on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation in education programs and activities, including in sports.
“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” the executive order says, referencing transgender students.
In Connecticut, two biological boys who identify as girls won 15 girls’ state track titles.
“I am so disappointed over President Biden’s actions to force young girls like them to compete with biological males for access to athletics,” Tate, a Republican, wrote. “It will limit opportunity for so many competitors like my daughters. It is bad policy and it is wrong for America.
“I just don’t understand why politicians are pushing children into transgenderism in the first place,” he added. “I certainly don’t understand why the President chose to make it a priority in his first days. And my heart breaks for the young women across America who will lose in this radical social experiment.”
President Biden’s choice for education secretary, Miguel Cardona, told senators last week he believes biological boys who identify as girls have the legal right to compete on girls’ teams.
Tate said the issue of women’s sports is personal for him because of his daughters.
“If there’s one thing that we are passionate about in the Reeves family, it’s my daughters’ sports,” he wrote. “I know that the lessons learned through team sports have led to so many successful lives and careers for women and have truly helped provide a more equal opportunity for success in our world. My girls practice tirelessly. They work hard. They’ve learned how to win and, yes, they’ve learned what it feels like to be on the wrong end of the final score. It’s true bonding – my happiest and proudest Dad moments.”
Tate’s post was popular, receiving more than 3,600 likes.
The top comments thanked him for speaking out.
“The majority of Americans understand it and are against it,” one person wrote, referencing the Biden policy. “We cannot waiver in our beliefs and our desire to protect young women for the equal opportunity to play in a fair and equitable sports program. Keep up the good work and God be with you and protect you for speaking up.”
“Agreed! It’s so unfair to the girls who have trained their whole lives to get beat by a boy,” another person wrote.
Last week, tennis legend Martina Navratilova and a coalition of women’s sports activists said it was unfair to allow transgender girls and women who “have experienced all or part of male puberty” to compete alongside female athletes.
Related:
Biden’s Education Secretary Pick Defends Placing Boys in Girls’ Sports: ‘That’s Their Right’
Biden Signs Transgender Rights Order Forcing Schools to Allow Boys in Girls’ Sports
Biden Orders Agencies to Promote LGBT Rights Worldwide: The ‘U.S. Belongs at the Forefront’
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Bulat Silvia
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
