Transgender athletes could face criminal charges under proposed Minnesota bill

A state lawmaker in Minnesota has introduced a bill that would result in criminal charges for transgender athletes.

State Rep. Eric Lucero (R) introduced H.R. 1657 on Thursday, Metro Weekly reported. The bill seeks to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

Under the proposed legislation, “male” is specifically defined as a person with a “heterogametic sex chromosome pair consisting of one X chromosome and one Y chromosome.”

The bill would ban transgender students who identify as women from trying out for or participating in female-only school sports. It would make doing so a petty misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $300.

The bill would also prohibit a transgender student from using communal areas such as restrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms that are designated female. It would make doing so a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Democrats control the state House and the governor’s mansion, so the bill is unlikely to become law.

President Biden signed an executive order on his first day barring discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The House passed the Equality Act on Thursday, which includes language that allows transgender women to participate in women’s sports.

However, multiple states are considering legislation restricting transgender youth participating in athletics. The Mississippi state Senate for instance, passed a bill earlier in February that would bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ or women’s sports at schools and universities.