Originally a Miscellany Room alert from Sackbut.
Ivey sets Alabama Girls in Sports Day—and targets trans athletes
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a proclamation Monday establishing October 10, 2026, as “Alabama Girls in Sports Day.”
The proclamation begins by touting the positive impact athletic participation can have on young girls and celebrating female athletes’ achievements throughout sports history. However, it then fuels the growing antagonism toward transgender women’s participation in sports—an issue that has become a popular talking point among Republican politicians in recent years.
“Alabama recognizes that there are fundamental biological differences between males and females that create meaningful competitive and safety considerations in athletic competition, particularly in women’s and girls’ sports, and we will continue standing up for women’s opportunity to compete fairly, safely and on a level playing field,” the proclamation reads.
The document also specifies that October 10 was chosen because of its relationship to the Roman numerals “XX,” which reflect the “two X chromosomes that are characteristic of the female sex.”
In a separate statement, Ivey declared that “if the Good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if He made you a girl, you are a girl.”
“We will continue standing up for the opportunity for girls to compete fairly and safely,” Ivey added.
I think the measure is reasonably worded. The choice of October 10 is perhaps over the top “cute”. Ivey has instigated or supported a number of reasonable measures. However, in general, she and the Alabama legislature have a terrible track record, and many measures, even reasonable ones, are clearly designed to “own the liberals” for political purposes in this deeply conservative state.
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