Thread by @ashtonpittman

BREAKING: The NCAA is considering banning all sports championships in Mississippi after Gov. Tate Reeves signed an anti-trans bill into law that targets transgender teen and young adult athletes.

The state could lose millions in revenue as a result.
mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

Mississippi narrowly avoided an NCAA ban last year when lawmakers retired the Confederate-themed state flag after the NCAA and other sports orgs threatened a boycott otherwise.

Less than a year later, they dove headfirst into another fight with the NCAA. mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

NCAA: “The NCAA Board of Governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports."

The new Mississippi law requires trans boys/men to compete on girls/women's teams and vice versa.
mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

NCAA: "When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected.”

Not looking good for Mississippi.
mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

Before Gov. Tate Reeves signed the latest anti-trans bill into law, I reported that doing so could pose risks to the state's economy and to future college sports championships in the state.

Then Gov. Reeves held a big, showy signing ceremony for the bill.
mississippifreepress.org/9879/gov-reeve…

When Gov. Reeves signed the anti-trans “Mississippi Fairness Act" into law, he said it'd “ensure young girls are not forced to compete against biological females.”

Asked if he could cite any examples of that being an issue in Mississippi, he could not. mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

Gov. Reeves: “I can’t personally give you any examples (of problems arising with transgender athletes on teams in Mississippi), but that’s the reason the Fairness Act is in place—to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future." mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

Mississippi's @SenatorWicker responds to the NCAA:

"Unbelievable. NCAA wants to take away opportunities from MS athletes because our state believes in biology. At this rate, they'll have to cancel every other state that decides to protect women’s sports."
mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

But the NCAA notes that it “embraces the evolving science on this issue" and it acknowledges the role of hormone therapy in gender affirming treatment.

Mississippi's law would require trans boys with male-strength due to treatment to play on girl's teams. mississippifreepress.org/11208/after-an…

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Mack Beggs, a trans boy, won the Texas girls' wrestling state championship 2 years in a row.

Bc he was assigned female at birth, Texas schools required him to compete with girls—despite the fact that he had male equivalent strength due to hormone therapy.
chicagotribune.com/sports/breakin…

Under Mississippi's new law, transgender boys like Mack Beggs (who have equal body strength to their cisgender male counterparts) would have to compete against and play on teams with girls—producing the exact problem Gov. @TateReeves says the law solves.
chicagotribune.com/sports/breakin…