Plan at Wisconsin Capitol would declare women’s sports for women
(The Center Square) – High school and college sports in Wisconsin would get a third category under a plan from a suburban Republican state representative.
Rep. Barb Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, is pressing what she calls the Protecting Women in Sports Act.
“I like to say this is for women, not necessarily against any other person,” Dittrich told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Dave Michaels Friday.
Dittrich says parents are driving the response to the growing questions over trans athletes competing against young women in high school sports.
“For females who are trying to compete at a level of excellence, it is only right to preserve that for them.” Dittrich added.
Her plan would create three categories for athletics at both the high school and college level in the state. One for men, one for women, and a co-ed category that would allow everyone to compete.
“The Act is really two bills. One at the K-12 level, and the other at the collegiate level,” Dittrich explained. “It would require that at the K-12 level that parents would be notified before any change of status. At the collegiate level, the athlete would have to be notified.”
The NCAA currently allows trans athletes to compete in the sport, and gender of their choice. For example trans women can compete against biological women.
In Wisconsin the rules are a bit more complicated. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, the group that oversees high school sports in the state, bans boys from competing on girl’s teams. There are some exceptions where a girl could play with the boys. More generally however, the WIAA leaves the decision about trans athletes to local schools.
“Schools may not be seeing this at that level at this point,” Dittrich said. “But this actually protects them and gives them some clear guardrails for this.”
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