Gov. Abbott holds ceremonial signing for 'Save Women's Sports Act' in Denton
The law dubbed the "Save Women's Sports Act" got a ceremonial stroke of the pen and strong reiteration for its origin by Governor Greg Abbott in Denton Monday.
"Some women are being forced to play against biological men," he said.
The governor chose Texas Woman's University in Denton for the signing flanked by women collegiate athletes and other supporters.
"This law prohibits biological men from competing on a team whereas an individual against women college sports," Abbott said.
The supporters applaud Abbott's stand and even shared their reasons why.
Riley Gaines, a former decorated collegiate swimmer from Texas competed for the University of Kentucky in 2022 at the NCAA Championships.
She ended up in a tie with a transgender student from the University of Pennsylvania.
"Any amount of common sense you can easily comprehend the fact men on average, this is fact, are taller, stronger, more powerful, can jump higher than women,' said Gaines. "It’s biological reality, but unfortunately we live in such a time where it’s controversial to say men and women are different."
Outside, a different story.
Passionate protesters who oppose the new law, which takes effect in September, numbered in the hundreds.
"There are trans people fleeing Texas right now because of this type of legislation, because of legislation across Texas, they are fleeing Texas and it’s wrong," said Analiese Clair.
"He pretends to care about women’s issues, but whenever it comes to abortion he doesn’t actually care, whenever it comes to trans lives he doesn’t actually care– yet he’s using women’s issues to, as a mask, discriminate against trans people," said another protester.
Abbott responded to the protests with some passion of his own, while referring to college women at the top of their sports.
"They devoted their lives! Working harder probably than anybody in this room, longer days, longer nights, sacrificing so much to achieve a goal only to have that goal erased by being forced to compete against a man," he said.