The state of Wyoming took another step on Thursday night against transgender athletes participating in sports in Wyoming.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed Senate Enrolled Act 94 into law, legislation that requires Wyoming’s university and community colleges to restrict an athlete’s participation in sports to their biological sex at birth.
The law also prohibits these schools from competing against other schools that don’t adhere to the same standard.
State Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, the sponsor of the legislation, told Cowboy State Daily she’s “tickled pink” to see the governor sign her bill into law, which she believes will guarantee women’s safety in college sports and a fair playing field.
“I’m tickled pink the governor put his stamp of approval on it, it’s nice to see in statute,” she said.
Current Status
SEA 94 will largely have no impact on Wyoming in the short term due to recent actions already taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump signed an executive order in February, threatening to strip federal funding from schools that don’t keep sex-specific sports competitions separate. Shortly after, the NCAA updated its student-athlete policy for collegiate sports, to bar athletes born as males and identifying as women from participating in women's sports.
“Regardless of what happens with the executive order, we’re protecting girls in Wyoming,” Schuler said. “Now, we don’t have to worry about men playing in women’s sports.”
Controversy surrounded the University of Wyoming and other schools in the Mountain West Conference last fall, as conference member San Jose State University (SJSU) rostered a transgender volleyball player on its women’s team.
Schuler said she crafted her bill with the assistance of UW staff.
Schuler’s bill originally only instituted a ban on Wyoming teams having transgender members on their rosters, matching similar legislation passed in Texas.
An amendment from Rep. Martha Lawley, R-Worland, expanded it to restricting play against other teams with these individuals as a way to address the SJSU situation.
Although Schuler said she wasn’t thrilled with the change, she put up with it in order to get the bill across the finish line.
“It got to where we needed to go with it,” Schuler said.
Any school that violates the new law can be fined as much as $50,000.
Nuanced Issue
Gordon let a similar ban pass into law without his signature in 2023 for youth sports grades 7-12 in Wyoming, calling the legislation “discriminatory” and “draconian.”
He offered no public comments when signing the collegiate bill into law on Thursday and signed his signature to it this time.
Many LGBTQ and transgender advocates argue that bills like SEA 94 are discriminatory and prevent trans athletes from pursuing the sports they love in the way that aligns with their self-identity.
Schuler said she would be open to creating a nonbinary division for these athletes to compete in at some point in the future.
“Something they want to do and have to go that route would be great,” she said.
Gordon also signed into law on Thursday House Enrolled Act 70, a bill requiring age verification to visit pornography websites in Wyoming.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
