Here is CNN:
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics voted to adopt a new policy Monday that effectively bans transgender women from participating in most of its women’s intercollegiate sports programs.
The NAIA, an athletic association consisting of 241 mostly small member colleges and universities as of 2023, governs intercollegiate athletics for more than 83,000 student-athletes, according to its website.
According to the organization’s new transgender participation policy, “Only NAIA student-athletes whose biological sex is female may participate in NAIA-sponsored female sports. They define “biological sex” as having “distinguishing characteristics and can be supported by birth certificate or signed affidavit.”
Scientists and advocates for the LGBTQ community argue that such definitions do not reflect the biological complexity of sex and gender, and they stress that biology does not override a person’s gender identity.
The new NAIA policy, which takes effect August 1, only bans transgender women and girls from participating. Under the new rules, transgender men and boys can participate on women’s teams without limitation if they were assigned female at birth and have not begun hormone therapy. If they have begun such treatment, they are able to participate in “all activities that are internal to the institution, including workouts, practices,” but the association defers to individual schools to decide if trans men can compete at the collegiate level.
Any NAIA school or institution will also be required to inform the association’s national office if their team has a transgender male student-athlete who has begun hormone replacement. The organization said it will “take the necessary steps to provide appropriate privacy protections.”
Exempt from the new rules are competitive cheerleading and dance, which the NAIA says are open to all students.
Read the rest here.
The NAIA has 241 member schools–many of them are Christian schools that uphold traditional views of gender. These include:
Aquinas College (MI), Arizona Christian University, Arkansas Baptist College, Ave Maria University (FL), Benedictine College (KS), Benedictine University at Mesa (AZ), Bethany College (KS), Bethel College (IN), Bethel University (TN), Blue Mountain Christian University (MS), Bryan College (TN), Bushnell University (OR), Campbellsville University (KY), Carroll College (MT), Central Baptist College (AR), Central Christian College (KS), Columbia International University (SC), Concordia University (MI), Concordia University (NE), Corban University (OR), Cornerstone University (MI), Culver-Stockton College (MO), Dakota Wesleyan University (SD), Dordt University (IA), Evangel University (MO), Faulkner University (AL), Freed-Hardeman University (TN), Friends University (KS), Georgetown University (KY), Goshen College (IN), Grace College (IN), Graceland University (IA), Hannibal-LaGrange University (MO), Holy Cross College (IN), Hope International University (CA), Huntington University (IN), Jarvis Christian University (TX), John Brown University (AR), Johnson University (TN), Judson University (IL), Kansas Wesleyan University (KS), Kentucky Christian University (KY), Life Pacific University (CA), Life University (GA), The Master’s University (CA), McPherson College (KS), Mid-America Christian University (OK), Mid-America Nazarene University (KS), Milligan University (TN), Missouri Baptist University (MO), Montreat College (NC), Mount Vernon Nazarene University (OH), Multnomah University (OR), Northwest University (WA), Northwestern College (IA), Ohio Christian University (OH), Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Olivet Nazarene University (IL), Our Lady of the Lake University (TX), College of the Ozarks (MO), Providence Christian College (CA), University of St. Francis (IL), University of St. Katherine (CA), College of Saint Mary (NE), University of Saint Mary (KS), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (IN), Saint Xavier University (IL), Simpson University (CA), Southeastern University (FL), Southwestern Assemblies of God University (TX), Southwestern Christian University (OK), Spring Arbor University (MI), Sterling College (KS), Tabor College (KS), Taylor University (IN), Tennessee Wesleyan University, Trinity Christian College (IL), Truett McConnell University (GA), Vanguard University (CA), Warner Pacific University (FL), Wayland Baptist University (TX), William Carey University (MS), Williams Baptist University (AR), York University (NE).
I don’t know how all of these colleges and universities approach the issue of transgender athletes playing women’s sports, but I know A LOT of them, if not all of them, uphold a traditional understanding of gender. These schools make-up a significant voting block in the 241 member NAIA.
Will the NCAA be next?
Just fyi ad all that, Bethel College (IN) became Bethel University (IN) in 2019.