Montana High School Sports Association to vote on transgender student policy

Association member schools will be voting on the policy January 19th.

Such language would follow the lead of high school associations in at least 33 other states, said Mark Beckman, MHSA executive director. It would also align with NCAA policy and recent federal guidance on Title IX, the law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in activities at schools receiving federal funds.

The policy would apply to the association’s 179 public and private member schools, Beckman said.

The association has never been notified of a request or disputes regarding transgender athletes in Montana schools, Beckman said. He called it a proactive measure that would establish consistent procedures to protect both students and schools when requests do come in.

According to Trans Athlete.com , twenty eight states and DC have student policies, which allow transgender students to participate. Most are statewide but vary as to the scope inclusivity, with a few notable exceptions. New York does not have a statewide policy but NYC does. Atherton High School, Louisville is the only high school in Kentucky to have a policy.

The Montana Family Foundation, which publicly affiliates with known hate groups Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council and Focus on the Family oppose the policy.

“Will your high school be forced to put boys and girls together in a hotel room overnight?” begins a podcast released last week by the Foundation’s president, Jeff Laszloffy. “What about sharing a locker room? And what about putting a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guy on the girls’ basketball team? They may have to if the Montana High School Association gets its way.”

The policy would not require sharing of lockers and hotel rooms, Beckman said, just that transgender students who are deemed eligible are given an equal opportunity to participate. Individual schools could decide upon appropriate accommodations in consultation with their legal counsel.

There has never been an instance of a student athlete acting inappropriately or abusing policies in any of the states or cities where transgender inclusive rules are in place.

Update:

Sad news. There will be vote. It seems the haters have at least temporarily quashed this effort for equality.

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