GIRLS ONLY: Iowa Bans Biological Males From Women’s Sports

Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Thursday banning biological males from women’s sports.

“This is a victory for girls’ sports in Iowa. No amount of talent, training or effort can make up for the natural physical advantages males have over females. It’s simply a reality of human biology,” Reynolds said in a statement Thursday. “Forcing females to compete against males is the opposite of inclusivity and it’s absolutely unfair.”

The move makes Iowa the 11th state in the nation to ban biological males from women’s sports.

HF 2416 protects girls’ sports programs at every school level in Iowa, including in high school and in college sports. Student-athletes must participate in sports based on the biological sex listed on their birth certificate, according to the new law.