Liberals weren’t just mad that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a transgender sports ban into law Tuesday — they were mad at the way he did it.
The moment: DeSantis, a Republican, appeared at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville to sign the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” flanked by the school’s female students.
- “We believe in the state of Florida protecting the fairness and integrity of women’s athletics,” he said. “I can tell you that in Florida, girls are going to play girls’ sports and boys are going to play boys’ sports. We’re going to make sure that that’s the reality.”
The law states that women and girls must play on the sport teams of the “biological sex” on their birth certificate in high school and college.
- Florida joined more than 20 other GOP-leaning states advancing similar legislation.
The reaction: “Black News Tonight” host Marc Lamont Hill, a former CNN commentator, spoke for many on the left when he condemned DeSantis for signing the bill on the first day of Pride Month — and with the help of his adorable young daughter.
Conservative Twitter users called out some of the more egregious attacks on DeSantis and his daughter.
DeSantis defiant: Regarding the timing of the signing ceremony, DeSantis told reporters: “It’s not a message to anything other than saying we’re going to protect fairness and women’s sports.”
- The bill goes into affect July 1.
DeSantis also dismissed the NCAA’s April threat to boycott Florida over the bill.
- “Some of these organizations say they’re not going to hold events if you do this, just let me say very clearly, in Florida, we’re going to do what’s right, will stand up to corporations, they are not going to dictate the policies in this state,” he said.
- “We will stand up to groups like the NCAA, who think that they should be able to dictate the policies in different states.”
