Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wisc.), left, and Attorney General Josh Kaul (D-Wisc.), and, a cross-dressing activist protests at WI State Capitol Jan. 19 | YouTube / X - Gays Against Groomers WI
Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wisc.), left, and Attorney General Josh Kaul (D-Wisc.), and, a cross-dressing activist protests at WI State Capitol Jan. 19 | YouTube / X - Gays Against Groomers WI
Wisconsin is among 23 states that do not have a ban on boys participating in girls sports.
That’s according to an analysis of state laws conducted by The Sconi.
While 27 states have enacted laws or policies restricting boys from participating in girls sports, the remaining 23 states, along with the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories, do not have bans, and allow boys to participate in girls' sports.
WI Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford, left, and fmr. US Attorney General Eric Holder
| Facebook / YouTube
These “non-ban” states include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
On February 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14201, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," which prohibits boys from participating in women's sports, according to the White House. This order threatens to revoke federal funding from educational institutions that allow transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.
His order countered President Biden’s April 2024 rules regarding Title IX protections which redefined “sex” to include “gender-identity,” and would have required U.S. schools and colleges to allow cross-dressing males in female specific spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms.
Trump’s executive order is being challenged by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) and a group of other state attorneys general, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
On February 19, 2025, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) updated its policy to comply with Trump’s executive order.The revised WIAA policy states that student-athletes assigned male at birth are not permitted to compete in girls' sports but may practice with girls' teams. Similarly, student-athletes assigned female at birth who have begun hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone) are prohibited from competing in girls' sports but may continue practicing with the team
The WIAA policy is being challenged by a group called “Fair Wisconsin.” The group's executive director, Abigail Swetz, said boys should be able to compete against girls because “when a trans kid gets to play on a team where they feel like they belong, that is so important,” reported Urban Milwaukee.
State challenges to either Trump’s executive order or the WIAA policy could end up being considered by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for which there is an April 1 election for the seat currently held by retiring Justice Ann Walsh Bradley.
The two candidates for Bradley’s seat are Susan Crawford, a Dane County Circuit Court judge, and former state Attorney General Brad Schimel, who is currently a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court.
Crawford is endorsed by former Obama Administration Attorney General Eric Holder, who directed the Department of Justice to interpret Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to treat cross-dressing individuals as a protected class under employment discrimination law.
As Wisconsin Attorney General, Schimel challenged the Obama Administration's Title IX policy that sought to re-interpret the word “sex” to include “gender identity.”
Gov. Tony Evers (D), who recently proposed substituting the word “mother” with “inseminated person” in state code, vetoed two bills in 2021 that would prohibit boys from participating in girls sports, reported Wisconsin Public Radio.
Which states have bans on boys from participating in girls sports?
| State | State Ban? |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes |
| Alaska | Yes |
| Arizona | Yes |
| Arkansas | Yes |
| California | No |
| Colorado | No |
| Connecticut | No |
| Delaware | No |
| Florida | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes |
| Hawaii | No |
| Idaho | Yes |
| Illinois | No |
| Indiana | Yes |
| Iowa | Yes |
| Kansas | Yes |
| Kentucky | Yes |
| Louisiana | Yes |
| Maine | No |
| Maryland | No |
| Massachusetts | No |
| Michigan | No |
| Minnesota | No |
| Mississippi | Yes |
| Missouri | Yes |
| Montana | Yes |
| Nebraska | No |
| Nevada | No |
| New Hampshire | Yes |
| New Jersey | No |
| New Mexico | No |
| New York | No |
| North Carolina | Yes |
| North Dakota | Yes |
| Ohio | Yes |
| Oklahoma | Yes |
| Oregon | No |
| Pennsylvania | No |
| Rhode Island | No |
| South Carolina | Yes |
| South Dakota | Yes |
| Tennessee | Yes |
| Texas | Yes |
| Utah | Yes |
| Vermont | No |
| Virginia | No |
| Washington | No |
| West Virginia | Yes |
| Wisconsin | No |
| Wyoming | Yes |
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