DeSantis and Surgeon General Ladapo defend women’s sports

SANFORD, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo reaffirmed their support for women’s sports to remain limited to biological women during a press conference on Monday.

“In Florida, girls have a right to compete against other girls in competitions that have integrity and that are fair,” DeSantis said. “You can’t have a biological male bud into these competitions and win the trophies. It’s wrong”

“I think we did is right. Sometimes people will [say] that not allowing a biological male is somehow an imposition on that athlete, and they don’t care about the imposition you’re imposing on all these female athletes,” he said.

Ladapo mentioned how “refreshing” it is to have a governor who stands in sharp contrast to the values pushed by people supporting the transgender ideology.

“It’s one of the things I really appreciate about the governor,” he said.

“Who thought it would be controversial to allow girls to compete with other girls and not have to compete with other boys?” he humorously asked. “I don’t think any of our parents thought that would be controversial.”

DeSantis signed the Fairness in Woman’s Sports Act in 2021, banning biological men from competing in women’s sports at any public education institution at the high school and collegiate level.

The legislation saw much pushback from progressive groups, such as the Human Rights Campaign.

“Ultimately, this bill will not just hurt transgender kids; it will hurt all Floridians because the consequences of this law — economic harm, expensive taxpayer-funded legal battles, and a tarnished reputation — will ripple across the state,” said Alphonso David, president of the organization.

During its final passage, the bill was approved 79-37 in the House and 23-16 in the Senate.