MSHSL transgender athlete policy out of touch with country

Once again Minnesota will be the last state to stubbornly hold onto a controversial policy the rest of the nation has rejected. In this case it’s the policy of allowing biological boys to participate in sports and activities against biological girls. I write boys but we’re really talking about men.

This week President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” something you wouldn’t think would ever have to be the title of a presidential executive order. The order was quickly followed by an announcement from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCA) that they were immediately changing their participation policy for transgender athletes stating “A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team.”

With those two major announcements, it appeared a national consensus was forming about boys not playing on girls sports teams. Sadly, Minnesota will not be joining the national consensus.

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) reacted to Trump’s executive order by declaring state law, not a presidential executive order, will govern transgender athletes in Minnesota:

“In Minnesota, participation and eligibility of transgender student-athletes is determined by state law, through the Minnesota Human Rights Act and the Minnesota Constitution. The Minnesota State High School League, similar to other youth sports organizations, is subject to state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Therefore, students in Minnesota are allowed to participate consistent with their gender identity. League Member Schools have done excellent work in respecting students and their individual situations as they determine their participation and eligibility within interscholastic sports.

 “The League will continue to review the existing state laws alongside the new Presidential Executive Order and its timeline, processes for states, and requirements that are included.” 

The MSHSL hangs their hat on the state’s human rights law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity. That’s because the law is silent on the specific issue of transgender athletes. With this interpretation, the adults at MSHSL are putting transgender rights above the privacy rights of everyone else, especially young girls.

The practical effect of this policy is that girls as young as twelve years old are forced to share locker rooms with eighteen-year-old men in the name of human rights. They’ve lost their minds.

This is a prime example of what author Gad Saad is chronicling for his new book Suicidal Empathy. The misplaced empathy that MSHSL board members and staff feel for transgender athletes overpowers their ability to recognize the damage done to young females. The young girls and their parents are told to stop complaining and join in the empathy-fest for these poor transgender “folks” who have a “right” to participate in sports.

Collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines spoke to an American Experiment audience in July 2023 after calling out the NCAA for allowing a male to participate in a women’s swim meet. Her courage and steadfastness culminated with President Trump’s executive order this week.

Rep. Peggy Scott introduced legislation this week to basically codify Trump’s executive order into law. We need leaders in Minnesota to care more about protecting young girls than offending transgender athletes.