South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Bows to LGBT Agenda, Guts Bill to Protect Student Athletes From Transgender Invasion

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has effectively bowed to the LGBT agenda, gutting legislation that would protect athletes from the ongoing transgender invasion of sports.

The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) issued a press release exposing Noem for surrendering to LGBT insanity in female athletics.

“Today, Gov. Noem proposed changes to House Bill 1217 that would eliminate protections for female college athletes outright and gut the ability for all women and girls to have recourse against unfair policies in women’s sports,” wrote ADF General Counsel Kristen Waggoner.

“Her misguided attempt to play politics and placate national corporate interests like Amazon is not what we would have expected from this governor. It’s surprising that Gov. Noem, who once stood up to special interests and corporate woke-ism, has now bowed to them,” she continued. 

“Contrary to what she has been told, this bill doesn’t conflict with any national sports policy and is fully consistent with the intent of Title IX. Offering some protection for high-school-girl athletes only delays the injustice they will face once they get to college. We call on the governor to withdraw her recommended changes and sign the bill passed by the legislature,” Waggoner added.

Noem claimed in a letter to South Dakota lawmakers on Friday that she supports the spirit of the legislation but is issuing a “style-and-form veto” because of problematic aspects of the bill’s language.

She said that “House Bill 1217 takes is unrealistic in the context of collegiate athletics. In South Dakota, we are proud of our universities’ athletic programs, and in particular the great strides we have taken to gain national exposure and increase opportunities for our next generation over the past two decades,” implying that tackling the issue of transgenders in athletics would damage the state’s reputation.

“South Dakota has shown that our student athletes can compete with anyone in the country, but competing on the national stage means compliance with the national governing bodies that oversee collegiate athletics,” Noem said.

Noem’s colleagues in the Republican Party are calling out her proposed changes as well, noting that they would effectively render the reform meaningless. 

“The recommended changes will substantially change the content of the bill. The legality was removed, which leaves the bill with a very weak authority. Removing the collegiate is simply saying that biology matters in high school, but not in college,” said Senator Maggie Sutton of Sioux Falls, who was the lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate.

Rep. Rhonda Milstead of Hartford, who introduced the bill in the House, has noted that Noem likely violated the state constitution with her statements.

“It is overreaching by trying to legislate law as the executive branch,” Milstead said.

After fighting back against COVID-19 shutdown insanity, Noem had been building a public profile as a fighter and potential national breakout star in the Republican Party. Folding on the LGBT issue is not a good sign that she has what it takes to lead the GOP.

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