LGBTQ+
Senate committee advances GOP anti-trans bill
Three Democrats joined with Republicans to advance a bill that would allow schools to ban trans girls from participating in women’s sports, though the bill is unlikely to pass the full Senate.
Republican state Sen. Steven Rhoads, center, sponsored a bill that would allow schools to ban trans girls from playing on women’s sports teams. NYS Senate Media Services
The state Senate Education Committee advanced legislation on Tuesday that would forbid the state education commissioner from requiring schools to allow trans athletes to play on sports teams that align with their gender. The move was immediately criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates, even though the bill is unlikely to ever come to the floor for a vote.
The legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Steven Rhoads, a Republican from Long Island. It would effectively allow schools around the state to ban “biologically male students at birth” from participating in women’s sports. If approved, the measure would prevent the state Education Department from passing its own rules blocking individual schools’ bans on trans athletes participating in women’s sports.
Democrats overwhelmingly control both chambers of the Legislature and hold a solid majority in every legislative committee, which means that nothing can advance unless enough Democrats support it. All five Republicans voted to advance the Rhoads bill to the Codes Committee, while three Democrats voted “aye without recommendation.” State Sens. Monica Martinez, Siela Bynoe and Joseph Addabbo each opted to advance the legislation, though without indicating whether they actually support the measure. Martinez, Bynoe and Addabbo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
All six other Democrats on the committee voted against the bill. But between the Democrats who voted aye without recommendation and the Republicans, a slim majority of eight committee members agreed that the bill should move forward for further consideration.
Martinez was the only Democrat of the three who voted to advance the bill to attend the committee. She did not explain her vote, but did express disappointment that Rhoads had not attended to answer questions about the legislation himself. “This is a very big topic to discuss without the sponsor,” Martinez said. “We have done so much in the state of New York to assist our LGBTQ community, and for us not to have an actual valid discussion with the sponsor, I think is unfair.”
Although it came up for consideration before the committee, it was not at the behest of the chair, state Sen. Shelly Mayer. “I think it’s unfortunate that this bill is before us,” she said during the Tuesday morning meeting, calling the measure “mean-spirited and misguided.” But state Senate rules allow members to request committee consideration for bills, even if the chair would not have normally brought it up themselves.
Although Rhoads himself did not attend the meeting, the present Republicans spoke in favor of his bill. “Nothing against anyone from the LGBTQ community – of course we support them as well,” said state Sen. Alexis Weik. “But this is something that, biologically. is incredibly different, men from women, and so we really do need to be doing what we can to protect girls’ sports.” Fellow Republican state Sens. Bill Weber and Jim Tedisco similarly backed the legislation.
State Sen. John Liu, a Queens Democrat, offered rebuke of the bill. “Some legislators at the national level are trying to push this kind of legislation as well,” he said. “I just feel terrible that it's even considered in the state of New York.”
Both Liu and Mayer pointed out that both state law and the state constitution prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender, which includes gender identity. New Yorkers overwhelmingly voted last year to amend the state constitution to enshrine those protections, despite a well-funded opposition campaign largely focused on the issue of women’s sports.
LGBTQ+ advocates immediately condemned the bill’s advancement out of the state Senate Education Committee. The New Pride Agenda, Working Families Party, Make the Road New York and Alliance for Quality Education released a joint statement denouncing the legislation. “We are deeply disappointed to see some Democratic Senators failing to stand up for all of our kids,” leaders from the organizations said in the statement, adding that it was “shameful” for the measure to advance in the Democratic-controlled state Senate.