On Wednesday, Kansas Republicans finally passed an aggressive ban on transgender people participating in girls’ and women’s youth and collegiate sports. This law could lead to state-mandated genital inspections of some athletes.

After Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposal in 2021 and 2022, Republicans finally gained enough support to make the so-called “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” law.

The new law bans trans girls and women from playing sports at school starting in kindergarten. The Kansas State High School Activities Association said only three trans girls participated in school sports this year. The new law does not ban trans boys from playing sports and goes into effect on July 1.

Advocates have been asking how exactly schools were supposed to determine which gender a child was assigned at birth, but at a hearing for the bill in February, state Rep. Barb Wasinger, who sponsored the bill, said that enforcement would happen through “sports physicals.”

Wasinger told The Kansas City Star Thursday: “Currently, you have to supply a birth certificate to even go to school. And if you’re playing […]