AUSTIN, Texas — College sports are built into the fabric of Texas universities. And this regular legislative session, Texas Republicans made women's sports a priority.
On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 15, the so-called "Save Women's Sports Act," into law.
"The legacy of women's sports will be safeguarded for generations to come,” Abbott said at the signing.
The bill requires collegiate athletes to compete on sports teams that align with their biological sex assigned at birth.
"Women's sports, women's records, women's teams, women's dressing rooms, all are jeopardized when men are allowed to compete for those teams, for those titles or those records,” Abbott said.
The one exception in the law is that women can compete on men's teams if there is not a women's team offered in that sport.
LGBTQ+ advocates say the bill discriminates against transgender athletes. During the regular legislative session, there was heated debate about how the bill could lead to more hate against transgender Texans.
"You keep trying to paint transgender people as a danger. So whether it's discrimination, or in dignity, or legislative violence you commit against them – just appears like you're defending yourself against a threat. But transgender people are not the threat,” said Molly, the mother of a transgender woman.
But Jeri Shanteau, a 3-time national champion swimmer who advocated for the bill, said it's not about exclusion.
"We need to make sure that we are aware that we're protecting female sports,” Shanteau said. “We are not trying to take away from anyone else. It is a matter of ensuring the safety, privacy and fairness for females.”
Shanteau said her work ensuring fairness for female athletes won't stop in Texas.
"We are going to continue to support women and young girls,” Shanteau said. “And as it pertains to the NCAA, we have to hold them accountable to have policy that enacts protecting female sports. If we don't, we are on the precipice of absolutely eradicating female sports."
When asked about the message this law sends to LGBTQ+ Texans, Abbott said the state will continue to advance policies to protect children, women's sports and all Texans and their freedoms.
Equality Texas, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy group, released the following statement regarding the signing of SB 15 into law:
“Playing sports is an essential part of so many young people’s college experience. Sports can teach teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship. Young athletes who have invested the time and energy into refining their skills to excel in college sports deserve to play with their teammates. Excluding athletes from college sports based solely on their identity is fundamentally un-American. If you work hard, you deserve to play. That should be true for all Texans, including trans Texans.”