Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, a
Republican, on Friday signed a bill that prohibits transgender
athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams.
Lawmakers approved House Bill 112,
titled the Save Women's Sports Act, late last month.
The bill states that “sports
designated for females, women, or girls may not be open to students
of the male sex.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, more than 200
anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in state legislatures this
session, 66 of which target transgender athletes.
“Sports are for everyone,” HRC said
in a tweet. “This law is wrong.”
The NCAA, the college athletics
regulatory body, has warned that it would only hold championships in
locations “free of discrimination.”
Montana is the eighth state with such a
ban. Other states include West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas,
Tennessee, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Idaho. A federal judge has
blocked implementation of Idaho's law. Lawmakers
in Florida have approved a similar bill.