On Tuesday, Democrat Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed a bill that would have prevented transgenders from playing on sports teams associated with their chosen, anti-biological gender identity.
The bill initially passed the state Assembly and Senate by respective 63-35 and 21-11 votes, along party lines, leaving Republicans without the necessary votes to override a veto. In part of the justification for his veto, Gov. Evers claimed that the bill would constitute “codifying discrimination into the state statute.” The bill would not have prohibited transgender athletes from playing their respective sports, but merely “required Wisconsin public and private schools to designate participation in interscholastic, intramural and club sports based on student-athletes’ sex.”
Still, Evers claimed that passing the bill would represent a violation of the NCAA-inspired Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association policy, which mandates one year of hormone therapy before they can begin competing in the sport associated with their self-identified gender identity. Furthermore, Gov. Evers alleged that the bill would have violated a notice of interpretation put in place by the Biden administration, which considers Title IX’s prohibition against sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
The battle over the transgender athletes bill represents another chapter in the extensive ideological struggle over gender and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology within the divided state government in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin state legislature previously attempted to cut $32 million from the 2023-25 state budget, which was allotted for DEI at University of Wisconsin system schools, an attempt which was subsequently vetoed by Evers. Wisconsin Republicans responded by withholding funds for faculty and staff raises that were included in the budget until the university agreed to take measures to limit the influence of DEI at its schools.
Until the executive or legislative situation changes, it seems that Wisconsin Republicans will need to continue to find alternative methods of addressing the burgeoning question of gender ideology and DEI in the Badger State.