Last month South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed a bill that will prohibit males participating as females in school sport. The new law means students must compete according to their biological sex that matches their birth certificate.

McMaster said, “I think the girls ought to play girls and the boys ought to play boys. That’s the way we’ve always done it.” Supporters of H.B. 4608 argue transgender girls would have an unfair advantage on women’s sports teams. They suggest transgender athletes could soon make up the majority of athletes receiving podium spots and awards.

Ivy Hill, Executive Director of Gender Benders and the Community Health Program Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, told NPR, “Transgender youth are not a threat to fairness in sports, and this law now needlessly stigmatizes young people who are simply trying to navigate their adolescence, make friends, and build skills like teamwork and leadership, winning and losing.”

Kirralie Smith, Binary spokeswoman, said bills like this are necessary to ensure fairness in sport.

“Emotive arguments for including males in female sports are empty and damaging,” she said.

“Science and reality prove time and again males have an unfair advantage over females in sport due to their greater size, strength and stamina.

“Males can compete as males or in a trans or open category. They do not need to compromise the privacy, safety and dignity of girls by appropriating their sex.”