Republican Senator Joins Democrats Against Transgender Sports Bill

The Progress Pride Flag flies over the Wisconsin Capitol. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

Republican Sen. Joan Ballweg of Markesan joined Democrats on a Senate committee in voting against the passage of a bill that would bar transgender girls in public and voucher schools from joining girls’ sports teams.

The bill — SB-378 — would create three categories of teams — “males,” “females,” and “males and females,” — based on students’ sex assigned at birth. It would specifically prohibit a “male pupil” from participating on a team designated for “females.” Its companion bill passed the Assembly in October 2023 in a party-line vote.

The Senate Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families committee voted 2-3 on recommending its passage. Sen. Jesse James (R-Altoona) and Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) voted for the bill, while Ballweg, Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) voted against it.

Ballweg’s communications director Leah Peterson explained in an email to the Wisconsin Examiner that Ballweg voted against the bill for two reasons.

First, Peterson wrote, Ballweg believes that schools and members of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) should be allowed to address these policies with their board of governors.

Secondly, noting that Ballweg previously chaired a task force on suicide prevention organized by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, she acknowledged that transgender youth are at a significantly higher risk for depression, suicide and victimization compared to their peers.

A 2023 national survey by the Trevor Project on the mental health of LGBTQ youth reported that half of transgender and nonbinary young people said they seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.

“[Sen. Ballweg] believes the entire concept of supporting youth as they address their individual identity is something that is an overriding concern outside of athletics,” Peterson said.

This is not the first time Ballweg has opposed the policy, having voted against a similar bill in another Senate committee in 2021.

Advocates, Democrats and other stakeholders have voiced similar concerns as Ballweg as the bill, along with another bill applying the same policy for higher education institutions, have advanced this session.

Republican senator joins Democrats against transgender sports bill was originally published by Wisconsin Examiner.