Mental Health Concerns Arise Following New Law Banning Transgender Girls In School Sports

Advocates say a new law just signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt could have mental and emotional effects on transgender girls.

The law bans them from playing girls school sports.

The Governor signed that new law, the Save Women in Sports Act, Wednesday.

It requires Oklahoma athletes to compete in sports designated to their biological sex.

One advocacy group for Oklahoma's LGBTQ community fears this law could do harm to some kids' mental health.

Alex Wade, Deputy Director of the nonprofit Oklahomans for Equality, believes it could lead to isolation or potential self-harm among transgender students.

“The fact that trans kids have to be so conscious of what’s going on in our legislature is really sad,” Wade stated.

Oklahoma joins a dozen other states that enacted similar legislation.

This law applies to elementary age kids all the way up to college athletics.

Gov. Stitt defended his decision to sign the bill into law by pointing to biological advantages males have over females in sports.

“How is it fair for female track athletes or swimmers who have been training since they were 12 years old to lose in a high school competition to a biological male. It’s not. It’s simply not fair. And it will not happen in the state of Oklahoma.” Stitt said.

The OSSAA, which governs high school sports, says it put in place a similar policy in 2015.

So far, it hasn’t been asked to enforce it.