(HorizonPost.com) – New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu last Friday signed into law a bill that bans transgender athletes in grades 5-12 from competing in teams that do not align with their biological gender, making the Granite State the latest to take steps to protect girls’ sports.
HB 1205, which was passed by the Republican-led state House in March and cleared the state Senate in May, requires all middle and high schools in the state to designate teams as either boys, girls, or co-ed, with eligibility to participate based on the student’s birth certificate.
Proponents of the measure argued that HB 1205 would protect female athletes from being injured while competing with larger and stronger male athletes.
In signing the bill on July 19, Governor Sununu said the law would ensure “fairness and safety in women’s sports” by maintaining “competitive balance” and “integrity” in school athletics programs.
Opponents of the measure accused the Republican legislature of placing transgender students at risk.
Megan Tuttle, the president of the New Hampshire National Education Association (NEA) teachers’ union, blasted Governor Sununu for signing the legislation, claiming that the law would exclude students from participating in school sports where children “foster a sense of belonging.” She argued that public schools in the state should be a “safe” and “welcoming” environment for all students regardless of their gender identity.
Governor Sununu also signed HB 619, a measure that prohibits doctors from performing transgender surgeries on minors. In signing the bill, Sununu said the measure received bipartisan support in the legislature and would focus on “protecting the health and safety of New Hampshire’s children.”
Sununu vetoed a third bill, HB 396, which would have permitted public and private entities to classify individuals based on biological gender in areas like locker rooms, bathrooms, athletic events, and detention facilities.
In vetoing the measure, Sununu cited a 2018 law that banned discrimination based on gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. He said the bill sought to “solve problems that have not presented themselves in New Hampshire,” and in so doing, invited “unnecessary discord.”
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