Vetoes show lack of GOP lockstep on transgender sports bans

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican governors in two states this week (March 21-24, 2022) rejected legislation to ban transgender players from girls sports. The vetoes show there are some remaining fractures among GOP leaders over how to navigate gender’s reemergence as a culture war issue. Still, those decisions to buck the party’s conservative wing could prove short-lived against a fired-up GOP base. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed bills passed by state lawmakers that would ban transgender girls from participating in gender-designated youth sports. Their opposition puts them at odds with some of their high-profile counterparts in states such as Iowa, Florida and South Dakota, where politically ambitious governors have leaned into the debates.