South Dakota’s GOP Governor Signs 2022’s First Trans Athlete Ban Into Law

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill Thursday that bans transgender girls from playing on female sports teams, making the state the first this year to enact such a bill into law.

“This bill has been an important priority for a lot of the people behind me,” Noem said as she signed the bill at a news conference, “and I appreciate all of their hard work in making sure that girls will always have the opportunity to play in girls sports in South Dakota and have an opportunity for a level playing field, for fairness, that gives them the chance to experience success.”

Noem vetoed a similar bill last March because she said the legislation wouldn’t survive legal challenges. Later that month, she issued two executive orders that

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