Republican governors in two states this week rejected legislation to ban transgender players from girls sports — signs that there are some remaining fractures among GOP leaders over how to navigate gender's reemergence as a culture war issue. Still, those decisions to buck the party's conservative wing could prove short-lived against a fired-up GOP base and lawmakers angling to overrule the governors. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed bills passed by state lawmakers that would ban transgender girls from participating in gender-designated youth sports. Their opposition puts them at odds with some of their high-profile counterparts in states such as Iowa, Florida and South Dakota, where politically ambitious governors have leaned into the debates as LGBTQ Americans have grown increasingly visible in society and pop culture. Given the very few transgender student-athletes playing in both states — four in Utah and none in Indiana — Cox and Holcomb say bans address a problem that is virtually nonexistent and distract from a broader conservative agenda. Holcomb said in a veto letter that Indiana lawmakers' rationale for a ban "implies that the goals of consistency and fairness in competitive female sports are not currently being met." Many point to the transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who won an individual title at the NCAA Women's Division I Swimming and Diving Championship last week. While she also placed 5th and 8th in two other races, her win drew widespread attention, including from Republican politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who issued an official proclamation declaring the runner-up the "real winner."⁠ ⁠ Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠ ?️‍???‍♀️?❤️⁠ ?: Lia Thomas / AP

Republican governors in two states this week rejected legislation to ban transgender players from girls sports — signs that there are some remaining fractures among GOP leaders over how to navigate gender's reemergence as a culture war issue. Still, those decisions to buck the party's conservative wing could prove short-lived against a fired-up GOP base and lawmakers angling to overrule the governors. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed bills passed by state lawmakers that would ban transgender girls from participating in gender-designated youth sports. Their opposition puts them at odds with some of their high-profile counterparts in states such as Iowa, Florida and South Dakota, where politically ambitious governors have leaned into the debates as LGBTQ Americans have grown increasingly visible in society and pop culture. Given the very few transgender student-athletes playing in both states — four in Utah and none in Indiana — Cox and Holcomb say bans address a problem that is virtually nonexistent and distract from a broader conservative agenda. Holcomb said in a veto letter that Indiana lawmakers' rationale for a ban "implies that the goals of consistency and fairness in competitive female sports are not currently being met." Many point to the transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who won an individual title at the NCAA Women's Division I Swimming and Diving Championship last week. While she also placed 5th and 8th in two other races, her win drew widespread attention, including from Republican politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who issued an official proclamation declaring the runner-up the "real winner."⁠
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Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠
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?: Lia Thomas / AP